Kuala Lumpur, 5 August 2020 – The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) criticises increasing restrictions on media freedom.

IDEAS views the reported raids on the Al-Jazeera Kuala Lumpur bureau office and confiscation of devices, and on the Astro and Unifi TV offices on Tuesday 4 August 2020 as a move that may send the signal to other media organisations that their independent reporting will not be welcomed by the administration.

“The media serves as a critical intermediary connecting citizens with the government and is at the heart of making open government work. Without an open media, the potential for accountable, inclusive and responsive government is significantly weakened”, said Tricia Yeoh, Chief Executive Officer of IDEAS.

“Upholding the rights of the media and ensuring journalists’ safety is fundamental to open government. If the government is serious in wanting to increase public trust, it will have to indicate that it supports the right to information. Only with an open, independent media environment can journalists report on issues that will increase public participation, transparency and accountability”, said Tricia.

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For media enquiries, please contact Tricia Yeoh, (tel) 03-2070 8881, (email) tricia@ideas.org.my