ASEAN Regional Coalition to POLITICAL PROFILE & CASE STUDY #StopDigitalDictatorship MALAYSIA 2023 Political Overview Elected Parliamentary Constitutional Monarchy in theory, semi-authoritarian regime in practice. Head of State, Monarch Head of Government Abdullah of Pahang by the end of 2023 (currently reigning monarch is Sultan Ibrahim of Johor, who ascended in 2024) Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim #PandemicPolitics #TashnySukumaran �� �� �� �� CASE STUDY Authorities in Malaysia weaponised the COVID-19 shutdown used to silence a journalist for reporting on raids targeting refugees and migrant workers in Malaysia. This is an example of Digital Dictatorship. WHEN 1 May 2020 (article published); 5−6 May 2020 ( summoned Laos Vietnam Thailand Tashny Sukumaran and questioned) WHERE Cambodia Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Malaysia correspondent for the South China Morning Post WHO Tashny Sukumaran, Malaysia correspondent for the South China Morning Post �� WHY/WHAT �� �� �� �� Sukumaran co-wrote an article (with Hong Kong based journalist Bhavan Jaipragas) titled ‘Coronavirus: hundreds arrested as Malaysia cracks down on migrants in Covid-19 red zones,’ how brutal immigration raids were being executed against refugees and migrant workers, including men, women, and very young children, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sukumaran had also personally gone to the ‘red zone’ and interviewed community members, as part of her due diligence and journalistic duty. In the article, she exposed how Malaysian authorities were taking advantage of the pandemic to target marginalised groups. Malaysia HOW ⚠ How Digital Dictatorship has caused the violation of Tashny Sukumaran’s human rights: �� � � � Sukumaran was summoned and questioned by the Royal Malaysian Police for questioning after her co-written article was published. She was accused of, and charged for, violating Section 504 of the Malaysian Penal Code (for “intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace”) and Section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act. It must also be noted that many other news publications reported a similar story, yet were not targeted in the same way Sukumaran was, demonstrating inconsistencies and potential identity-based discrimination involved in these decisions. Malaysia Original article by Tashny Sukumaran for SCMP: SCMP, Coronavirus: hundreds arrested as Malaysia cracks down on migrants in Covid-19 red zones, (1 May 2020), available at: https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3082529/coronavir us-hundreds-arrested-malaysia-cracks-down-migrants. RSF, Malaysian police investigate reporter who covered Covid-19 arrests, (6 May 2020), available at: https://rsf.org/en/malaysian-police-investigate-reporter-who-covere d-covid-19−arrests. Arrests, litigation, and the other forms of harassment mentioned in this case study are just some examples of how Digital Dictatorship has affected the individual(s) mentioned, as well as Southeast Asian society as a whole. HRDs and/or journalists, including the one(s) 167 in this case study, are often perpetually targeted by Digital Dictatorship in numerous ways that go beyond just what is discussed here.