We, the undersigned Malaysian academics and researchers, as well as colleagues from other countries researching on Malaysia, wish to record our serious concern and objection to the recent actions taken against Professor Abdul Aziz Bari of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM).

We are outraged at the “guilty” verdict and the impending sanctions by the newspaper Utusan Malaysia on Ha’ta Wahari, president of the National Union of Journalists of Malaysia, for supposedly “tarnishing the image” of the paper and for revealing “company secrets.”

We are equally outraged by the cyber-attacks on the independent online outfits Malaysiakini and the Sarawak Report.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the conviction of Malaysian journalist and union leader Ha’ta Wahari on charges of “tarnishing the image” of his employer Utusan Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on April 14.

A letter of support for National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Malaysia president Mohamed Ha’ta Wahari, from the Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance (SEAPA), a network of journalist and media freedom groups in Southeast Asia, of which CIJ is an associate member.

CIJ and ten others civil society organizations call on the public to sign on the memorandum speaking against political intervention and self-censorship in the media industry. The memo was launched on World Press Freedom Day and will be open for signature until 28 May. It is available at http://www.petitiononline.com/20100430/petition.html

A series of investigations against those who attempt to question issues on Shar'iah law, as has been instituted against women's right group Sisters-in-Islam and editor of the Star, P. Gunasegaram, threatens close off rational discussion and violates the rights to freedom of expression. SUARAM, Womens' Aid Organization and CIJ calls for the public's support in [...]

The Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) joins the 16 days of activism to end gender violence. This campaign was launched globally in 1991 and in recent years and with advances in technology, violence against women has also taken on a new dimension through the online platforms like emails, blogs, phones etc.   Through its work [...]

The Centre for Independent Journalism is mobilising support for Malaysiakini in condemning the harassment through investigations by the Communications and Multimedia Commission over the news portal's video posts on the cow-head protest. Please support by sending your protest to the commission, you can use the template email below.   Please share with your friends and [...]

Most of us tend to take the commons and the public nature of the Internet for granted. However, increasing corporatisation and control of the Internet are strongly threatening these fundamental characteristics of the Internet as we know it. To read the complete letter click here.   For the current endorsement list click here   For [...]

To commemorate World Press Freedom Day 2008, the Centre for Independent Journalism and Writers Alliance for Media Independence launched a letter of demand, calling for a free press, people's access to information and the empowerment of citizens. If you believe in these core values as a foundation for democracy, please email us your support or [...]