EWMI Promoting Freedom of Expression in Malaysia (ProFoEm) partner, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) — the preeminent human rights organization in Malaysia — released the 2024 Malaysia Human Rights Report on April 10, 2025. The report provides a broad assessment of the country’s human rights environment, highlighting persistent challenges in freedom of expression, assembly, and accountability within law enforcement. It notes that restrictive legislation — particularly the Sedition Act and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act — continues to be used against journalists, activists, and individuals who express dissenting views online. According to the report, 2024 saw a five-year high in Sedition Act charges, alongside broader efforts to regulate online speech and media content through legal reforms and regulatory mechanisms.
Beyond legal restrictions on speech, the report situates freedom of expression within a wider landscape of civil liberties concerns. Authorities continued to investigate or intervene in public demonstrations with arrests rising significantly in 2024 compared with previous years. The report also highlights the growing use of security laws such as the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (SOSMA), alongside broader concerns about police conduct, custodial deaths, and limited transparency in accountability mechanisms. While some institutional reforms have been discussed, the authors conclude that meaningful progress will require stronger safeguards for civil liberties, clearer legal protections for activists and journalists, and more transparent oversight of law enforcement institutions.