30-Jun-23 18:00

Dr Benjamin Loh, Senior Lecturer, School of Media & Communication, Taylor's University

The debate for freedom of speech is not a new topic of conversation, but it's recently bubbled up again after remarks made by Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil made headlines. He told users that comments they made were being watched, and not to be surprised if they received a visit from the cops. He has clarified that the warning was aimed at those who made remarks on 3R (race, religion, royalty) issues, and not because of criticism against him or the government. Several events from this year also come to mind, including MalaysiaNow being temporarily blocked, and Mentega Terbang the film being pulled out of their streaming platform. So we discussed all this, and where we currently stand in terms of our freedom of speech. Then, we opened up the floor for our listeners to share their thoughts.

Image Credit: Shutterstock