While Malaysia's rating on the Freedom on The Net 2011 report hasn't changed from 2009 -third in the Asian region - the country has been ranked one of the worst in violations of users' rights this time around.

"Throughout 2009 and 2010, a number of bloggers faced legal harassment, intimidation, fines and brief periods of detention, though none were imprisoned," said the report, in its summary on Malaysia's performance on Internet freedom.

NONE The report stated that many of these cases involved individuals who had been critical of Malaysian royalty, while others were detained over satirical content.

The violation of users' rights, one area evaluated in the report, made up 40 percent of the total score.

This section measures legal protection and restrictions on online activity, surveillance, privacy and repercussions for online activity, such as legal prosecution, imprisonment, physical attacks and other forms of harassment.

Malaysia's score in violation of user rights at 21 out of 40 points, was surpassed only by Russia (23), Egypt (28), Zimbabwe (23 )and Pakistan (22) among the countries where the Internet is rated as ‘partly free'.

Iran with a score of 39 out of 40 represented the worst in violating user rights.

But the real extent about worries of repercussions from the authorities against Internet users can perhaps be seen by the fact that those who helped to monitor Internet freedom in Malaysia for the report, requested that their identities be kept anonymous.

Malaysia's internet ‘Partly Free'

However, Malaysia maintained its score of 41, the same as in 2009, on the Freedom on The Net index, gaining it the ‘partly free' record in the report, which is aimed at measuring each country's level of Internet and new media freedom.

NONE Each country receives a numerical score from 0 (the most free) to 100 (the least free), which serve as the basis for an Internet freedom status designation of Free (0-30 points), Partly Free (31-60 points), or Not Free (61-100).

We are the country with the third most ‘free' Internet from among the nations in the the Asian region monitored in the survey.

South Korea led the pack with a rating of 32, India (36) at number two and we are at number three, followed by Indonesia (46) and Pakistan (55).

Malaysia's high ranking is accounted by it having low scores in obstacles to access and limits on content.

Freedom on the Net 2011, which identifies key trends in Internet freedom in 37 countries, was first released in 2009. It evaluates each country based on barriers to access, limitations on content, and violations of users' rights.

The report is released by Freedom House, an independent watchdog organisation that supports freedom and democratic change, with the support of the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF).

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