In the wake of the blocking of the news site The Malaysian Insider (TMI), lawyer Syahredzan Johan warned that the government's grip on the internet is only about to tighten.

This is because of amendments to the Sedition Act 1948 that were passed last year have yet to come into force.

“But once it comes into force, a deputy public prosecutor can go to court and get news portals and websites taken down for so-called 'sedition'.

“They don't even need to prove that it is seditious. All they need to show is that it ‘appears’ to be seditious.

“This will get worse, ladies and gentlemen,” he told a forum in Kuala Lumpur last night.

The forum themed 'Media Shackled, Democracy Dead?' was organised by DAP, and was held in solidarity with TMI in the wake of the website being blocked since last week.

Syahredzan reiterated his views that the blocking of TMI for purportedly violating Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA) did not follow due process.

Among others, this is because the law did not empower the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to act as a 'judge, jury, and executioner'.

Since the move amounted to a criminal sanction, the matter should have been heard in court instead, with the MCMC playing the role of an investigator.

Moreover, the CMA also contains a clause stating that nothing in the act shall be construed as permitting internet censorship, he added.

Section 233 of the CMA deals with abuses of network facilities or services for “sending communications that are obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in character, with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person”.

Uneven media landscape

Meanwhile, another panellist at the forum, Abdul Kadir Jasin, concurred that the worse is yet to come.

The former New Straits Times Press group chief editor said this is because controlling the media, especially the online media, is the only way the government could maintain its hold on power.

“He (the prime minister) cannot depend on the mainstream media (to hold on to power) any longer. The mainstream media is losing circulation, its viewership, and is losing business.

“So one way to 'even up' this uneven media environment is to control the flourishing online media,” he said.

Despite the grim outlook, Syahredzan urged the audience not to lose hope and keep up the struggle for a better Malaysia, reminding that it is always darkest before dawn.

“We are holding on to a higher principle, and what is that higher principle? We want democracy. True democracy.

“If we stop because we are afraid, because the state suddenly stops us and stifles our voices, then it means that these higher principles don't mean much to us,” he said, quoting the words of famous whistleblower Edward Snowden.