CORONAVIRUS | A New York-based journalists NGO has called on the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government to repeal laws curtailing press freedom, especially to ensure the media’s role in disseminating accurate information during the Covid-19 crisis.

In a letter to prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) executive director Joel Simon (photo, above) urged the new government to “make press freedom a top priority” by repealing or amending stipulations within the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998 and the Penal Code.

“The role of an independent press that can report freely on issues of public concern has never been more important, especially at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic threatens the well-being of the people of Malaysia, who require accurate and timely information to make informed decisions about how to safeguard their health...