Whenever there is political uncertainty, there have been new laws & new crackdowns on the media.

Today in #MemoriMediaMerdeka, we trace the histories of some of these laws, their political contexts & how they continue to impact our media landscape today!

(This is a thread)

#throwbackto an issue of Nadi Insan in July 1980 discussing controls on media freedom!

It was banned 3 years later.

In Malaysia, the right to publish is governed by the Home Ministry. Freedom of information is regarded as a "national security issue".

#MemoriMediaMerdeka

The Printing Presses Act (PPA) 1948 was a colonial law that was born during the Emergency Era.

Many labour unions & social activists& #39; publications were caught in this net.

Steps were also taken to block or control imported publications.

#MemoriMediaMerdeka

1958 saw more controls on these imported publications.

The subsequent years also saw the takeover of many independent publications, such as Utusan, by political parties.

In the 1960s, socialist newspapers Berita Buroh & Nyala were banned.

#MemoriMediaMerdeka

After 1969, the media was blamed for "inflammatory" reporting.

This justified even more oppressive controls on the media.

1984 saw the PPPA, which required all print media outlets to have their licenses reviewed/renewed yearly by the Home Ministry.

#MemoriMediaMerdeka

During Ops Lalang, the Star, Sin Chew Jit Poh & Malay weekly Watan had their licenses revoked.

There are still many oppressive laws today.

Recently they were used to probe journos - SCMP& #39;s @tashny & @boosulyn of CodeBlue.

Do you think things have changed?

#MemoriMediaMerdeka

Check out this thread to see what else we& #39;ve been posting as part of our #MemoriMediaMerdeka online campaign for Merdeka & Malaysia Day this year!

Thanks to our friends at @designarkib for letting us use their amazing pictures! Give them a shoutout! https://twitter.com/CIJ_Malaysia/status/1300327477399617536">https://twitter.com/CIJ_Malay...