JOINT STATEMENT: PROTECTING JOURNALISTS RIGHTS TO CONFIDENTIAL SOURCES

We, the undersigned media organisations, stand in solidarity with Malaysia's online portal Malaysiakini and the three journalists currently under police investigation over a news article that cited an anonymous police source.

According to GeramM, the Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ), and the National Union of Journalists Malaysia, Malaysia's Chief of Police, Tan Sri Razarudin Husain, has dismissed Malaysiakini's article as untrue because it did not cite an official source.

Our organisations represent media workers operating in a region where press freedom is frequently challenged, including fundamental principles such as the right to protect the confidentiality of anonymous sources.

The Malaysian authorities' attempts to pressure journalists into revealing their sources raise serious concerns about the further erosion of press freedom in Malaysia and the region as a whole.

Upholding basic journalistic principles should not be criminalized. Without guaranteed protection, journalists risk losing the trust of sources with vital information that needs to be disclosed.

We call on other media and press freedom organizations to stand with Malaysia's journalists as they face both external and internal pressures. Journalists must support one another in these challenging times.

We stand in solidarity!