Several lawyers and a media academician has spoken out against the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission's move to order two online portals to remove eight articles which allegedly broke its laws.

Lawyer N Surendran said any parties aggrieved by any reports could resort to civil action and press defamation charges if it was true that they had been defamed.

"The criminal or penal sanction of the MCMC Act cannot be used to protect any individual.

"That is infringement of freedom of speech which is guaranteed under the constitution," he told Malaysiakini when contacted...