KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 ― The criminal investigation against a Malaysiakini reporter over her coverage of the Sarawak election is a form of harassment by the authorities, media group the Institute of Journalists Malaysia (IoJ) said today.
IoJ said that media must be allowed to operate without fear of reprisal from authorities or threats of violence from individuals, and urged the police to instead investigate whether threats were made against Kow Gah Chie as her photograph was circulated on social media without her consent.
“Initiating a criminal investigation against a journalist for their work is tantamount to harassment by the authorities, regardless of allegations of inaccuracies in a news report.
“We urge the police to instead probe if there were threats made against Kow and also to investigate the invasion of her privacy, as her photograph was circulated on social media without her consent. Such incidents present a real risk for journalists, who already face numerous legal, and in some cases physical, hazards in their daily work,” IoJ said in a statement.
Yesterday, news portal Malaysiakini confirmed that Kow was being investigated by the police for “causing mischief” and has been recalled from covering the Sarawak state election after fearing for her safety.
Its editor-in-chief Steven Gan said that the decision was made after her photograph was circulated on social media following a story she wrote quoting Barisan Nasional (BN) Nangka assemblyman Dr Annuar Rapaee.
“If newsmakers feel that they have been taken out of context, they can contact the relevant media organisation and request a correction. They can also issue a statement and make clarifications,” IoJ added.
Malaysiakini had published a report quoting Annuar as saying that Sarawakians should vote for BN in the state elections, so that “a Muslim leader can continue to lead the Sarawak government.”
Annuar had since claimed that the article had taken his speech during a seminar in Sibu out of context. Malaysiakini said it stands by its report.
On Saturday night, police said they are investigating a reporter from an online news portal under the Penal Code after six police reports were lodged over an article written regarding a seminar in Sibu, Sarawak.
Sarawak Criminal Investigation Department SACP Dev Kumar said in a New Straits Times Online report that the reporter is being investigated under Section 505(c) of the Penal Code for allegedly causing public mischief.
Section 505(c) deals with any statement, rumour or report “with intent to incite” or “likely to incite any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community of persons”.
If found guilty, a suspect may be jailed up to two years, or fined, or both.
