Introduction

According to Prime Minister Najib and his predecessors, Malaysia's culturally diverse population is the main reason additional restrictions have consistently been placed on the population's civil liberties. Thus, under the banner of “national security”, the government limits freedom of speech to safeguard race relations and to ensure national stability. Further, while democracy as a political ideal is still sought after, restrictions are imposed on political processes to protect other fundamental values. Unlike the West, it is not so much the restriction of freedom of speech that is being questioned in Malaysia but the government's domination of the channels of political expression which it uses to weaken the opposition and eliminate criticism. Thus, the main problem in Malaysia lies in the ruling government's willingness to exploit the country's fragile political situation for its own ends by routinely suppressing dissent and criticism from political opposition, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the public.

However, Prime Minister Najib has rebuffed such claims, saying, on the contrary, his government is open to criticism. While denouncing opposition leaders and foreigners, whom he blamed for spreading falsehoods and fake news, Najib said that the media has a duty to:

Najib even argued that “free speech is thriving in Malaysia”, compared to other nations in the region, before going on to blame the false and fake news tyrannizing social media now plaguing the country.