TOP MALAYSIAN SITE HIT WITH FINE AS FEARS OVER PRESS FREEDOM GROW

PUTRAJAYA: A leading Malaysian news site was fined $120,000 on Friday over readers’ comments that criticised the judiciary, sparking concerns about worsening press freedom and a flood of international condemnation.

Fears have grown that independent media outlets are under attack in the Southeast Asian nation since a scandal-plagued coalition seized power without an election last year following the collapse of a reformist government.

Malaysiakini, a popular portal that has made a name for itself by reporting on the misdeeds of the ruling elite, and its editor-inchief Steven Gan, were accused of contempt of court in a case brought by the attorney general.

The case related to five readers’ comments posted under an article that were critical of the judiciary, which authorities say had eroded public confidence in the courts.

A panel of judges at the country’s top court ruled that Malaysiakini was guilty of contempt and ordered the site to pay a 500,000 ringgit ($120,000) fine by Wednesday. Prosecutors had sought a fine of 200,000 ringgit.

Gan - who could have faced a jail term if convicted - was cleared, but he criticised the decision as “uncalled for”.

“The hefty fine against us is really an attempt not to just shut us up - but to shut us down,” he told reporters at the Federal Court in the administrative capital Putrajaya.

Following the ruling, the portal changed to black and white as a mark of protest and launched a fundraising drive to cover the fine.

The site appeared on track to easily get enough - by Friday afternoon, it had raised over 450,000 ringgit.

MALAYSIAKINI IS ONE OF MALAYSIA’S LEADING CURRENT AFFAIRS WEBSITES AND HAS BEEN REPORTING ON CORRUPTION SCANDALS LINKED TO GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS