GE14 | Pakatan Harapan will review all laws and regulations that restrict media freedom if it wins the 14th general election, its president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said today.

In a statement in conjunction with the World Press Freedom Day, she reminded the caretaker government of its duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression.

"According to the World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Malaysia is currently ranked 145th. This is not surprising considering that the media and journalists are under constant threat from draconian laws that includes Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, the Official Secrets Act 1972, and the Multimedia and Communication Act 1998.

"The media, and freedom of speech, is further limited by the introduction of the Anti-Fake News Act 2018. We are the first country in the world to enact and prosecute an individual under a fake-news law," she said.

If given the mandate, the Harapan government will ensure that the media has the freedom to check and balance the administration, she added.

"Freedom of the press and freedom of speech are essential elements of a democratic nation. Therefore Harapan is committed to ensuring that Malaysia will be one of the top ten leading nations in the world in terms of freedom of the press and freedom of speech."

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, DAP secretary-general and caretaker Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng, echoed Wan Azizah's remarks.

"Even before Parliament was dissolved on March 7 to make way for the14th general election, the tightly-controlled mainstream media have been openly campaigning for BN, with their distortion and lies.

"Besides campaigning for BN, media outlets, such as The Star Online and the New Straits Times recently published articles quoting (Harapan chairperson) Dr Mahathir Mohamad as saying that Harapan will abolish e-hailing service Grab, when in power.

"When Mahathir explained that he had said there should be a review in order to be fair to both sides, hence exposing their lies, the two media outlets merely deleted the news without any apologies," said Lim.

As long as BN is in power, the government will continue to bulldoze more laws and regulations to curb the already-restrained media and alternative voices on social media, he claimed.

The Harapan government will also set up a Media Council, comprising media figures, which will be responsible for developing and implementing a code of ethics on reporting and act as an ombudsman for public complaints, Lim added.