KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 — Concerns raised by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) over Malaysia’s poor media freedom ranking were being taken seriously, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said today.

Fahmi said that although the government remained committed to media freedom, it would continue enforcing laws to curb misinformation and sensitive content.

"The RSF’s views are something we need to consider, but at the same time, the existing laws are being used,” he added.

Fahmi said that RSF’s criticisms — particularly in relation to legislation and political pressures involving coverage of race, religion, and royalty or commonly referred to as the 3R issues — will be considered.

"We need to find a balance. We cannot allow incorrect information, especially on 3R issues that may interfere with public sentiment, to spread.” he said.

Malaysia’s standing in RSF’s World Press Freedom Index has drawn scrutiny from civil society groups, with claims of growing self-censorship among journalists reporting on sensitive subjects.

According to this year's report, Malaysia went up by 19 ranks to place 88th out of 180 in the index.

The country also went up into the "problematic” category with a score of 56.09 in the index, after dipping into the "difficult” category last year. Malaysia had placed 107th last year — scoring 52.07.

RSF said economic fragility has become the primary threat to press freedom worldwide, with over half the world’s population now living in countries where journalism is considered a dangerous profession and press freedom is entirely absent.

Fahmi acknowledged these challenges but pointed to recent initiatives — including the proposed establishment of the Malaysian Media Council as signs of progress.

"Our aim isn’t just to move up in the index, but to address structural issues faced by the media, including employment security and the rise of artificial intelligence.

"We need to ensure no fake and false news takes over and at the same time protect the livelihoods of media practitioners,” he added.