Malaysia falls 34 spots to 107th in press freedom index

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has dropped 34 places to 107th in the World Press Freedom Index this year.

According to the World Press Freedom Index 2024 report, released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Malaysia’s score stands at 52.07.

Just one place behind Thailand (87th), Malaysia is second among Asean nations, with Indonesia in 111th place, followed by Brunei (117th), Singapore (126th), the Philippines (134th), Cambodia (151st), Laos (153rd), Myanmar (171st), and Vietnam (174th).

The index published on RSF’s website compares the level of media freedom in 180 countries and regions around the world.

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Myanmar, China, Bahrain, Vietnam, Turkmenistan, Iran, North Korea, Afghanistan, Syria and Eritrea are among the bottom 10.

Last year, Malaysia ranked 73rd, up 40 places from 2022's 113rd place.

Just last month, Amnesty International, a global movement focusing on human rights, claimed that freedom of expression in Malaysia had declined under the unity government's administration.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has since denied it, saying that no journalist has been arrested or the news portal shut down so far.