Kuala lumpur: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia's decline in this year's World Press Freedom Index was influenced by several international assessment indicators, including enforcement action taken against several media organisations. However, he stressed that such action was not intended to curb press freedom or suppress political dissent, but was directed at content involving religion, race, and the royal institution (3R), as well as matters that could threaten national security. He said cases involving Sin Chew Daily over the publication of an inaccurate illustration of the Jalur Gemilang, and Sinar Harian over the publication of the Inspector-General of Police's biography, had contributed to Malaysia's lower ranking.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, 'The action against Sin Chew Daily, for example, was viewed by the international media community as a serious violation of press freedom. However, the matter involving the national flag was resolved appropriately. We take issues concerning the national flag very seriously, although other countries may not view them in the same way. When action is taken against established media organisations, it immediately affects the press freedom index,' Anwar said during the Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today. Anwar was responding to a question from Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas) on the factors behind Malaysia's fall to 95th place in the 2026 World Press Freedom Index from 88th last year, and the government's comprehensive measures to safeguard media freedom.

The Prime Minister said the government remained bound by the position agreed upon by the Conference of Rulers, which closely monitors reports involving insults against the royal institution and content that could inflame racial or religious tensions. Anwar said no action was taken against content containing factual inaccuracies or political criticism alone. Instead, the government prioritised public clarification over enforcement, including providing explanations in Parliament. 'The government had strengthened the country's legal framework through amendments to Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which, among other changes, ensured that satirical remarks directed at the Prime Minister or other leaders would no longer be treated as criminal offences,' he said.

Anwar also noted that the assessment by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) considered several indicators, including the political environment, legal framework, economic conditions, socio-cultural context and security. Another factor affecting Malaysia's ranking was the removal of online content by social media platforms based on user complaints, rather than government directives, he said. This, he said, includes his own posts related to Hamas, which were removed by social media platforms despite the government's disagreement with the decision. He also said requests by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) were not necessarily accepted by social media platforms, as the final decision rested with the respective platform operators.