Through May, three Tamil media portals were reportedly sent a summons notice by a leader of a political party, while a local Tamil newspaper owner has reportedly threatened several Tamil newspaper reporters and portals. Two journalists, P Puvaneswaran and M Pavalam have registered a police report calling on police to investigate the newspaper owner.  

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has responded to the allegations, affirming his government’s commitment to press freedom, condemning the alleged behaviour, and reiterating his support for the media to operate without fear of retribution, while respecting the right of politicians to reply to reports. The allegations were first raised in the Malaysia Gazette on May 22 by the head of the Malaysian Indian Journalists Association.

In a statement, the NUJM expressed their deep concern for the safety and well-being of the journalists involved, extending a message of support to the entire Tamil media community, and calling for action to stop similar attacks.

The NUJM said: “Media freedom and the safety of journalists must be protected to ensure that fair and independent news reporting can continue. We also urge all parties to respect the investigation process being carried out by the police and expect a fair and just process to be given to our comrades for the incident that happened to them. NUJ will continue to monitor this development and provide full support to the affected journalists. Let us together ensure that journalistic integrity and media freedom in Malaysia continue to be preserved.”

The IFJ said: “Reports of threats towards journalists with Tamil media outlets are deeply concerning. Journalists and media workers must be allowed to operate without fear of retribution from outlet management or influential figures. The IFJ calls for a thorough investigation into these incidents, and for authorities to uphold press freedom.”