Former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was charged with sedition on 27 August for remarks he made about a former king of Malaysia during a campaign appearance. Muhyiddin, who leads the opposition Perikatan Nasional coalition, criticized the decision of then-monarch Sultan Abhdullah of Pahang to appoint Anwar Ibrahim prime minister over Muhyiddin following the 2022 election. Muhyiddin has faced several high-level criminal cases under Ibrahim’s premiership, which he holds to be politically motivated. The government and civil servants at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, which is responsible for separate money laundering charges Muhyiddin currently faces, deny these allegations. If convicted, Muhyiddin faces up to three years in prison.

Sources: The Diplomat, Channel News Asia, International IDEA, Malaysia Now

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced new rules for social media platforms with more than 8 million users. Platforms including WhatsApp, TikTok and Facebook will be required to maintain an annual license and incorporate a local entity that will be subject to national law and regulation. The government sees the new regulatory regime as necessary to guard against online fraud, mis- and disinformation, harassment and sexual crimes, especially against minors. The new rules have been sharply criticized by civil society organizations as having “great potential to be misused as a legal framework to restrict freedom of speech” and “a direct attempt to exert control over social media platforms.” A joint statement led by free expression watchdog Article 19 argued that Malaysia instead needs “comprehensive legislative reform” to undo numerous existing laws which are used to stifle or limit freedom of speech. The regulation will go into effect in January 2025.

Sources: Nikkei Asia, Article 19, Global Voices

Malaysian officials evicted over 500 members of the nomadic Bajau Laut community and demolished their homes in June. The Bajau Laut are  are stateless despite living in the area for centuries and lack access to basic services and civil and political rights. Authorities argued the demolished homes were constructed with permits and defended the action in the face of criticism from rights groups arguing the evictions and demolitions were necessary to combat cross-border crime and protect security. On 27 June the activist who publicized the evictions was briefly arrested under the Sedition Act, a colonial-era anti-communist law that critics have long argued is primarily used to silence critics of the government and faces up to three years in jail. Amnesty International Malaysia called on the government to “end its evictions of the Bajau Laut people, address human rights violations, and not punish those who expose what is going on.”

Sources: Reuters, Amnesty International, Malay Mail

Malaysia’s parliament is set to consider contentious constitutional amendments that will change how citizenship is conferred in June. A wave of criticism from opposition and government lawmakers and civil society led the bill’s backers to abandon plans to hold the vote in March. The amendments would require abandoned children to apply for citizenship, revoke the automatic granting of citizenship to children of permanent residents, revoke the citizenship of naturalized wives of Malaysian men if the marriage ends within two years of citizenship acquisition, and more. An amendment that allows the children of Malaysian women born abroad to automatically receive citizenship, however, received widespread support. The amendments’ many critics argue it will drastically increase the number of stateless people in Malaysia. Stateless people are denied access to healthcare and education in the country and also struggle to obtain employment.

Sources: Straits Times, Malaysian Bar Association, Free Malaysia Today, The Star