KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today attributed Malaysia’s drop in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index to action taken against certain media companies, while denying claims that it was due to censorship.
Malaysia was ranked 95th in this year’s World Press Freedom Index, seven places lower than in 2025.
Critics have alleged that the ranking reflected growing intolerance for dissent, a charge the government has denied.
Anwar insisted today that press freedom in Malaysia remains “relatively better” than in comparable countries.
“After we assessed the metric used... so when we took action against Sin Chew, for example, that was seen as a strong action that would affect the index,” he said during Prime Minister’s Question Time.
Malaysia was ranked 95th this year, down from 88th in 2025, in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) index.
MORE TO COME
