Govt signals cover-up by muzzling Edisi Siasat, Bersatu Youth slams block

Summary

• Bersatu Youth exco Na’im Brundage claims move sends a clear signal that the Madani government is not serious in combating graft and abuse of power.

• He adds that the block will strengthen public perception that Putrajaya is “afraid of the truth”.

The move to block access to the whistleblower Telegram channel Edisi Siasat raises the question of whether the government is attempting to cover up scandals, said Bersatu Youth exco Na’im Brundage.

Condemning the restriction on the freedom to expose information, he noted that Edisi Siasat has played a significant role in revealing misconduct and abuse of power that rarely receive coverage in the mainstream media.

“This blockage sends a clear signal that the government is not serious in its efforts to combat corruption and abuse of power,” he asserted in a statement.

Na’im pointed out that, according to reports, numerous Telegram channels promoting criminal activities such as prostitution, illegal gambling, and online scams continue to operate freely without restrictions.

He said the government should instead focus its efforts on channels clearly involved in such crimes, rather than blocking whistleblower platforms like Edisi Siasat.

“The government's failure to lift the ban on Edisi Siasat will only strengthen public perception that the current administration is afraid of the truth, lacks commitment to fighting corruption, and tends to suppress freedom of expression to protect its political interests,” he added.

Yesterday, the MCMC announced that it had filed a civil action against two Telegram channels, namely Edisi Siasat and Edisi Khas.

The commission also applied for - and successfully obtained - an interim injunction from the High Court to stop the dissemination of content uploaded by the channels.

MCMC claimed both channels were identified as spreading content that violated provisions under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

Such content, it said, has the potential to erode trust in public institutions and disrupt public order.

The commission added that this first-of-its-kind action against Telegram, an Application Service Provider (Class) licensee, followed the platform’s “serious failure” to address repeatedly reported content.

Following this, the Telegram channel became inaccessible.

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