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September 20, 2024 – Malaysia –
Malaysia’s Federal Court dismissed British investigative journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown’s final appeal in a civil defamation case tied to her 2018 book The Sarawak Report, which investigated the massive 1MDB corruption scandal. The court ruled that the appeal lacked sufficient merit to be heard, thereby upholding a lower court’s decision ordering Rewcastle Brown and two others to pay RM 300,000 (approximately USD 71,000) in damages and RM 120,000 in legal costs to the Sultanah of Terengganu, who claimed she was defamed in the book. The court also imposed an additional RM 15,000 in legal fees for the dismissed appeal.
The defamation case stems from a passage in Rewcastle Brown’s book that briefly and mistakenly linked the Sultanah to a businessman involved in the scandal. Though the passage was later corrected, the Malaysian courts ruled the damage had already been done. Media freedom groups have expressed alarm at the verdict, warning it reinforces a dangerous trend of using defamation laws to silence journalists who expose wrongdoing.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia (NUJM), strongly condemned the ruling, calling it part of a growing pattern of judicial harassment against independent journalism. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) also criticized the court’s decision, arguing it sends a chilling message to journalists reporting on corruption and undermines press freedom in Malaysia. RSF urged both Malaysian authorities and the UK government to intervene and protect Rewcastle Brown’s rights.
The civil case comes amid a broader legal campaign against Rewcastle Brown, who was also convicted in absentia on separate criminal defamation charges in February 2024. She was sentenced to two years in prison and is currently appealing the verdict in the UK.
Malaysia has seen a sharp decline in press freedom, dropping from 73rd to 107th in RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index. Rewcastle Brown’s case has become emblematic of the broader threats facing investigative journalists in Malaysia and highlights the urgent need for legal reforms to protect free expression and press independence.
Reference –
Malaysia: Clare Rewcastle Brown’s appeal request dismissed – IFJ
