On August 14, Shafee Abdullah, a senior lawyer as well as a commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), filed a defamation suit and obtain a court order against Raja Petra for three articles he published on his blog, Malaysia Today in August. The articles titled The real dalang behind Anwar's sodomy allegation, Money, power and sex: what motivates man and Sodomologist Extraordinaire, alleged that the lawyer masterminded the sodomy case against Anwar Ibrahim, adviser to the People's Justice Party (PKR).

CIJ and WAMI are worried that the demand to reveal sources is a blow to the protection of whistleblowers, which under the Malaysians laws have always been minimal and thus hinders the expression and exposure of matters of public interest. Apart from the reference against Shafee Abdullah, Raja Petra's allegation of the abuse of police power is a matter of public interest which warrants publication and reply by the alleged party.

CIJ and WAMI stress that writers and bloggers should not be intimidated from exposing matters of public interest by being compelled to forsake the protection of their sources. It is suffice to contest the truth or falsity of Raja Petra's articles for the purpose of seeking redress for damage to reputation without having to expose the identity of the whistleblowers.

CIJ and WAMI urge for the court order to reveal the whistleblower's identity to be withdrawn and for a legislation protecting whistleblowers to be enacted to strengthen the people's right to freedom of expression and information.

Ends

Issued by
Centre for Independent Journalism

and

Wong Chin Huat
Chairperson,
Writers' Alliance for Media Independence

For more information please contact Wai Fong at 03 40230772.