Released as part of its “Locked Down: Screws Tighten on Press Freedom in Malaysia” report, the survey polled 240 media practitioners and found that while a large number of respondents (38.3%) felt there had been little change in the media situation, a significant 30.4% thought it had become worse in the last 12 months.

Asked about why they believed the situation had worsened, 22.5% believed it was due to government legislation and policy, with 18.8% citing economic forces and the influence of political actors.

Most respondents also felt there was a culture of impunity in attacks on reporters on social media and from political figures, with 87.1% describing it as a moderate or serious problem, largely enabled by the government.

Just over three quarters of the respondents said that not enough has been done by the government to protect journalists from these threats.

NUJ cited examples such as Malaysiakini’s Kow Gah Chie and CNA’s Malaysia bureau chief Melissa Goh, who were both subjected to online hate messages over the last year for their work.

Kow had reported on the environment minister’s defence of logging in Kelantan. Goh was accused by defence minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob of having “bad intentions” in a tweet about his comments regarding food for migrant workers in buildings under lockdown. This prompted some netizens to publicly question her credibility.

Overall, NUJ said media freedom in the country had worsened over the past 12 months, with a number of reporters and outlets placed under investigation for their work.

Two of the most high-profile examples were the RM500,000 fine handed down to Malaysiakini over comments from readers, and the investigation into Al Jazeera after the station published a documentary highlighting the treatment of migrant workers during the pandemic.