Lawyers for Liberty has called out Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for defending the government’s tough action on inflammatory speeches and dismissing Malaysia’s declining ranking in the World Press Freedom Index.

LFL director Zaid Malek in a statement said Anwar’s message, delivered during the National Journalists Day (Hawana) celebrations in Kuching, Sarawak, yesterday, was “embarrassing, dishonest and totally unacceptable”.

“Coming from a sitting prime minister...