Malaysia
Singapore: Defamation case threatens press freedom - 18 November 2009
The Singaporean parliament should enact new legislation protecting freedom of expression, Amnesty International said today, after a magazine and its editor agreed to pay S$405,000 (Approximately US$290,000) following a fine by the country’s highest court for alleged defamation.
The Dow Jones Company-owned Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) magazine and its editor Hugo Restal had published an article critical of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his father, former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.
The 2006 article entitled "Singapore's 'Martyr', Chee Soon Juan", contained allegations against the two leaders, including of corruption, which the Singapore Court of Appeal ruled as defamatory.
Dow Jones Company denied any wrongdoing but said they had to pay the fine.
Malaysia upholds caning sentence for Muslim woman - 29 September 2009
Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno was sentenced to six strokes of the cane for drinking alcohol in public. The sentence was upheld by the Shariah Court of Appeal in the State of Pahang.Malaysia sentences another to caning under Shariah law for drinking alcohol - 15 September 2009
Amnesty International has repeated its call for Malaysia to stop using the penalty of caning altogether, after another person has been sentenced to six strokes of the cane for drinking alcohol.
The government tightened control of dissent and curtailed the right to freedom of expression and religion.
Malaysia indefinitely postpones caning of woman - 28 August 2009
Muslim Kartika Sari Devvi Shukarno was sentenced to six strokes of the cane for drinking beer in public in December 2007. Postponed for Ramadan, her sentence is now under review by the Shariah Court of Appeal.Photographic evidence shows the cruelty of caning In Malaysia - 25 August 2009
Photographic evidence obtained from detention centres in Malaysia by Amnesty International, show the harsh reality of this cruel form of punishment.Malaysia postpones caning of woman for Ramadan - 24 August 2009
Authorities in Malaysia on Monday postponed the caning of a Muslim woman convicted of drinking alcohol in public, until the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.