In coming to the defence of news portal Malaysiakini, which was fined RM500,000 for contempt of court for facilitating the comments posted by five readers on their site, the group wanted discussions between the relevant parties on this matter urgently.

They said the Federal Court decision that found the portal liable for readers’ comments was “misconceived” and said it sends a “chilling” message to Malaysians.

“It indicates the further narrowing of media space on freedom of expression, a right that is guaranteed under the Malaysian constitution,” the opposition representatives said in a joint statement.

“A fearless and independent media ensures transparency and impartial public discourse.

“To that end, it is fundamental that freedom of expression of journalists and media practitioners is given due protection by the law and the courts.”

The group said the judgment to hold the portal responsible for the comments of its readers was “unreasonable and unfair”, particularly because the offending comments were swiftly removed once they came to the moderators’ attention.

They called for immediate consultation among media practitioners, civil society, government agencies, MPs, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and the judiciary to discuss media guidelines that are fair and based on a rights-based approach.

“In this light, we fully support the Bar Council’s call for a specific legislation to cogently define contempt, which can then serve as a useful guide to uphold freedom of expression and media freedom.”

On Friday, a seven-member panel of judges found Malaysiakini guilty of contempt of court for facilitating the comments posted by five subscribers to their site. All but one judge ruled against the news portal.

A crowdfunding effort to help the portal pay the fine exceeded its RM500,000 target in less than five hours.