Malaysia: Activists face police harassment, protesters arrested and journalists targeted for their reporting

Malaysia’s civic space continues to be rated as ‘obstructed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. Among ongoing concerns are the array of restrictive laws, especially the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA) and the Sedition Act, that have been used to silence online dissent and to harass human rights defenders. Critical news websites and blogs have been blocked. Peaceful protesters have been hauled in by the police for questioning under the Peaceful Assembly Act. Malaysia has also yet to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Human rights group SUARAM released its annual report on 7th April 2026, documenting human rights violations including civic space restrictions. The report noted that the Sedition Act 1948 continues to be invoked against critics of political and state actors. Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA), together with Penal Code provisions and legacy instruments such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA), are routinely deployed to investigate and prosecute speech deemed offensive, harmful or destabilising. The group stated that the freedom of assembly environment remains restrictive and that assemblies that address “sensitive” issues or are organised by groups highly critical of the government face heightened scrutiny, with organisers and speakers at risk of criminalisation.

In recent months, activists and political commentators have been targeted and arrested while an LGBTQI+ community organisation had to cancel their event due to safety concerns. Activists were arrested during a protest against the demolition of houses and for a protest against the anti-corruption chief. Journalists and media outlets have been targeted and sedition cases brought against the opposition and critics.

Association

Activists and political commentators targeted following alleged plot to destabilise the government

A number of activists and civil society organisations were targeted following the media outlet Bloomberg’s report in February 2026 relating to allegations of misuse of power involving the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and regarding an alleged plot to destabilise the government.

On 9th March 2026, two police personnel visited the office of electoral reform organisation BERSIH and demanded to know the whereabouts of its leaders. In a statement, the BERSIH steering committee said the two individuals arrived at its office, but it was closed. The individuals, who were in plainclothes, then went to a nearby office that housed another NGO, where they identified themselves as police officers and started asking questions about BERSIH.

On 10th March 2026, human rights defender and Chief Executive Officer of The Center to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4 Center), Pushpan Murugiah, was investigated under Section 124B of the Penal Code for allegedly committing an activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy. Pushpan was questioned by the police after his name was linked to an email alleging that a ‘high-powered individual,’ through an international media organisation, was seeking to ‘topple the government’.

According to ARTICLE 19, his lawyer has said that the interrogation was excessive and overreaching. The one-and-a-half-hour investigation covered 81 questions, including those relating to C4 Center’s and other civil society organisations’ work and their sources of funding. The questions also covered whether C4 Center had been instructed to say or do certain things, and information about and identification of their sources. Police also questioned whether it was C4 Center’s business to comment on matters of public importance and national governance, and whether they had credibility to make such statements.

On 16th March, it was reported that political analyst and former BERSIH former executive director, Ooi Kok Hin, was also summoned to assist with the probe. He revealed alleged intimidation by investigating officers.

Others questioned included Associate Professor Dr. Syaza Syukri (IIUM), Dr. Mazlan Ali (UTM) and Aziff Azuddin (IMAN Research). According to reports, a total of 14 individuals have been questioned.

Activist arrested over social media post on royalty

On 19th December 2026, activist Fahmi Reza was arrested in connection with an investigation over his posting on X allegedly insulting Johor Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.

The graphic artist was detained after being summoned for questioning by the police. The probe is being carried out under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. Johor state media previously reported that more than 50 police reports have been lodged against Fahmi over his postings concerning Tunku Ismail.

In a social media post on 15th December, Fahmi questioned why Tunku Ismail appeared able to act as he pleased without facing any legal repercussions. He was subsequently released on police bail after several hours of questioning. However, police kept his mobile phone.

Organisers cancel event over safety concerns

On 13th January 2026, LGBTQI+ community organisation JEJAKA announced the cancellation of its ‘Glamping with Pride’ (GWP) event due to safety concerns, including the organisation receiving death threats on social media. The two-day retreat was originally scheduled to take place from 17-18 January and aimed to improve health literacy and reduce stigma about issues such as HIV.

According to ARTICLE 19, at least five police reports were made based on the programme’s online promotional poster, leading to police investigations under Section 504 of the Penal Code for ‘intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace’ and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) for improper use of network facilities.

Days before the event, public commentaries and actions by authorities, religious institutions, organisations, and political figures vilified the programme, mounting pressure for its cancellation.

According to EU SEE, in the week of 25th January 2026, the police initiated investigations against nine Executive Committee (EXCO) members of Jejaka. Police questioning focused on Jejaka’s legal status (registration under the Registrar of Societies), its mission and member composition, as well as the purpose, targeted participants, and venue of GWP.

Government withdraws appeal in the Raymond Koh enforced disappearance case

On 1st April 2026, the government decided to withdraw its appeal against a court decision to grant Pastor Raymond Koh’s family access to a classified report on his disappearance.

Amnesty International Malaysia said: “[we] welcome the government’s decision to withdraw its appeal in the Pastor Raymond Koh case as a small but important step towards truth and accountability. What matters now is whether this is followed by concrete action to establish the truth and ensure those responsible are held to account.”

The Malaysian Bar urged the government to accede to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and enact laws to criminalise enforced disappearances in accordance with international standards.

Pastor and social worker Raymond Koh was abducted in broad daylight in February 2017. There has been a failure to ensure accountability for his enforced disappearance. In April 2019, following an extensive public inquiry, the national human rights commission (SUHAKAM) concluded that the abduction was a case of enforced disappearance carried out by state agents, namely the Special Branch or the police intelligence unit.

On 15th August 2024, the High Court ordered the government to declassify and provide the family with a Special Task Force report related to Pastor Koh’s disappearance. The government initially appealed this decision but withdrew its appeal. Separately, on 5th November 2025, the High Court found the government liable for Pastor Koh’s abduction and awarded RM37.4 million (USD 9,413,546) in damages to his family. The government filed an appeal against this ruling on 6th November 2025.

Assembly

Activist and resident arrests during protest against the demolition of houses

In November 2025, police arrested at least 22 human rights defenders and residents who attempted to prevent the demolition of houses in a village in the state of Selangor.

On 11th November 2025, demolition operations commenced in Kampung Papan, in Pandamaran, Klang, with authorities tearing down 20 homes. This action contradicted prior assurances on 23rd October 2025 by the Selangor government that only vacant houses would be demolished. Residents, many of whom still occupied their homes, protested the demolitions.

On 12th November 2025, during the demolition, a resident of Kampung Papan and two other activists, M Mythreyar, and PSM deputy chairperson, S Arutchelvan, were arrested. The arrests were made under Section 186 of the Penal Code for allegedly obstructing public officers during the eviction process. The three activists were remanded for a day and were later released on bail. On 13th November, police detained another ten individuals — including eight activists from PSM and Mandiri and two residents — as the demolition continued.

On 14th November 2025, at least nine more people, including residents and human rights defenders - including Yee Shan from (PSM) and Jernell Tan from the human rights organisation SUARAM - were arrested while monitoring, recording, or peacefully supporting affected residents. These arrests were also made under Section 186 of the Penal Code for “obstructing a public servant.”

Nalini Elumalai, Senior Malaysia Programme Officer at ARTICLE 19 said: ‘This is a blatant attack against human rights defenders who dare speak out on behalf of local communities living in a climate where forced evictions and development pressures are being used to displace long-time residents. The arbitrary arrests of the activists highlight the risks faced by human rights defenders advocating housing rights. These actions seem intended to intimidate others and discourage efforts to stop forced evictions.’

Amnesty International Malaysia said: “Activists should not be dragged into police stations for peacefully protesting the demolition of Kampung Papan residents’ homes. Seeing people who stand up for the rights of others being pinned down, handcuffed and hauled away speaks volumes about the appalling state of the right to protest in Malaysia.”

Student protest disrupted by auxiliary police

A sit-in protest that was held on 31st January 2026 by Universiti Malaya students, was disrupted by the university’s auxiliary police.

The students were protesting the university’s direct disciplinary punishment policy. More than 100 students from various UM-based student groups took part. They had submitted a memorandum to the vice-chancellor’s office during the protest containing three key demands: that the university abolish all forms of disciplinary punishment within seven days, halt the use of financial penalties and conduct a review of the student disciplinary framework.

However, the protest was disrupted when the university’s auxiliary police attempted to seize an effigy of the vice-chancellor, triggering a scuffle. Liga Mahasiswa Malaysia president Alyaah Hani Anuar said she was taken aback by the actions of the police at the event, adding that she fell down during the altercation. According to Alyaah, the police later forcefully snatched placards bearing the vice-chancellor’s image from the students.

Three activists arrested for protest against anti-corruption chief

Three human rights defenders were arrested on 8th April 2026 for peacefully demonstrating against Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Azam Baki while he was delivering a speech at the World Trade Centre.

The three human rights defenders were Hamdin Nordin, president of the youth organisation Liga Rakyat Demokratik; Fakrurrazzi Khairur Rijal, coordinator of the youth-led organisation MANDIRI; and Ahsanul Akmal Sulam, activist from the student group Liga Mahasiswa. They held up placards that said “Tangkap Azam Baki” (Arrest Azam Baki) during a speech by the MACC Chief Commissioner and were arrested by auxiliary police.

According to ARTICLE 19, they were investigated under Section 186 (obstructing any public servant in discharging his public functions), Section 447 (punishment for criminal trespass), Section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of peace) of the Penal Code, and Section 14 (insulting behaviour) of the Minor Offences Act. They were then remanded for three days. However, they were released early the following morning, after protests from civil society.

The X account of MANDIRI was found to be suspended shortly after the incident, although the reasons behind the block remain unclear.

Expression

Freedom of expression NGO highlights ongoing concerns

In December 2025, the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) published its latest report – The State of Freedom of Expression in Malaysia 2025. The report notes that the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA), Sedition Act 1948 and Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA) remain active tools to police speech, especially online criticism and political commentary.

CIJ's monitoring shows that reliance on these laws has not decreased – it has intensified. Between January and November 2025, authorities invoked restrictive legislation 233 times, a 23 percent rise compared with the previous year. Section 233 of the CMA alone accounted for more than half of all cases, underscoring its position as the government's primary mechanism for regulating digital expression.

Meanwhile, amendments to the CMA in February 2025 expanded investigative powers and introduced harsher penalties, including fines of up to RM1 million. Critics argue that these measures entrench control rather than align Malaysia's framework with international human rights norms.

Targeting of journalists and media outlets

Journalists continue to face challenges in undertaking their reporting, with some intimidated, investigated and even attacked.

Award-winning journalist Haresh Deol, the co-founder and editor of Twentytwo13, who has been reporting extensively on the ‘doctored documents’ scandal involving seven so-called “heritage players” alleged to have obtained Malaysian citizenship fraudulently, was attacked in Kuala Lumpur on 25th November 2025.

He had just concluded a meeting and was walking towards his car when he noticed two burly men loitering nearby. Sensing trouble, Haresh ran but was knocked down by a third man who was at the scene. He fell to the ground as the two men attacked him. The man who knocked him down used his mobile phone to record the assault. The attackers fled immediately, and no belongings were taken.

Journalist Rex Tan from the online news site Free Malaysia Today was arrested simply for asking a question about combating xenophobia at a public lecture on Gaza and drawing a historical parallel between the Palestinian cause and the situation of ethnic Chinese communities in Malaysia. A video of this moment was widely shared online. He became the target of a wave of online attacks, which included threats of physical violence against him and his family and doxxing.

On 17th January 2026, Malaysian journalist Rex Tan was arrested and detained for half a day in Kuala Lumpur as part of an investigation into an alleged violation of Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act, as well as Section 505(c) of the Penal Code, which criminalises the circulation of a report or rumour “with intent to incite, or which is likely to incite” public mischief. He was released on bail, but his phone was seized for the ongoing investigation.

Police visited the local branch of New York-based news giant Bloomberg on 26th February 2026 to seek journalists behind the exposés on the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and its chief, Azam Baki. They asked for Tom Redmond and Niki Koswanage, the duo behind two explosive investigative reports published which detailed shocking instances of power abuse and extortion by MACC, as well as Azam's alleged links to individuals described as the "corporate mafia".

On 24th February 2026, it was reported that a company dealing with migrant workers Bestinet Sdn Bhd and its founder, Aminul Islam Abdul Nor, are suing media outlets over a Bloomberg report published on 23rd January 2026, and subsequent reports repeating its claims and commenting on the issue. Among the outlets targeted were Bloomberg, Malaysiakini, The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd (publisher of The Edge) and MNow Media Sdn Bhd (publisher of MalaysiaNow). CIJ stated that the action taken by Bestinet has clear elements of strategic litigation against public participation (SLAPP).

On 31st March 2026, Kalidas Subramaniam, a journalist from Tamil news portal Thinathanti, was detained by police at the Kulim district police headquarters in connection with alleged trespassing while covering issues related to undocumented migrants.

On 1st April 2026 it was reported that police are investigating news outlet Malaysiakini over an article concerning a proposed migrant worker recruitment system. Police stated that the investigation is being conducted under Section 203A of the Penal Code for unauthorised disclosure of information and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for misuse of social networks. Police also questioned senior journalist B Nantha Kumar.

Sedition cases against the opposition and critics

In February 2026, it was reported by Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail that police had opened 142 investigation papers under the Sedition Act 1948 in 2025, with a dozen cases going to court. According to Saifuddin, this is the highest number of investigations since 2010.

On 5th January 2026, a Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur fined an opposition Bersatu leader RM2,000 (about USD 500) after finding him guilty of making seditious remarks during a by-election campaign in 2023. The Kijal assemblyman and member of the Terengganu State Executive Council had been charged with one count of sedition over comments made at a by-election event at Padang Astaka Chukai in Kemaman, Terengganu. He questioned what he described as differing treatment of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman following their respective court cases.

On 30th March 2026, the sessions court fined political influencer Wan Azri Wan Deris RM4,000 (about USD 1,000) after finding him guilty of a sedition charge over a statement he made involving the King. Wan Azri, also known as Papagomo, was charged under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948 in May 2024. The offence carries a maximum fine of RM5,000 (about USD 1,200), imprisonment of up to three years, or both, upon conviction.

Federal Court decision a blow to freedom of expression

On 6th February 2026, the Federal Court partly reversed a landmark 2025 decision of the Court of Appeal in Heidy Quah Gaik Li vs Government of Malaysia, representing a serious setback for freedom of expression in Malaysia.

As previously documented, the Court of Appeal had ruled in August 2025 that the words ‘offensive’ and ‘annoy’ in Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998 were unconstitutional, as they breached two articles of the Federal Constitution: Article 8, which guarantees the right to equality, and Article 10(1)(a), which guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression. The 2025 Court of Appeal judgment was viewed as a major win for freedom of expression in curbing the detrimental impacts of the CMA.

However, the Federal Court ruling found that words ‘offensive’ and ‘annoy’ in Section 233 of the CMA did not violate the Constitution. The overturning of the Court of Appeal’s decision was only partial, as the Federal Court did affirm the Court of Appeal’s finding that there was no basis to prosecute Heidy Quah in this appeal, on the grounds that her post was ‘offensive’ and communicated ‘with the intent to annoy’.

ARTICLE 19 welcomed the Federal Court’s affirmation that political views and controversial issues are protected under Article 10(1)(a) of the Federal Constitution even if they caused discontent or anger. However, they were concerned that the same judgment appears to contradict this principle by seemingly exempting from the scope of protection expression that targets the constitutional monarchy or offends religious sensitivities, even though such expression can also be deeply political in nature.

Over the years, Section 233 has been used to crack down on free speech and as a tool in clamping down on criticism and dissenting voices.