Although we are only getting started, we aim to progressively extend our coverage of countries around the world.
In 2023, Malaysia rejected the latest edition of the "standard map of China"
that lays claim to almost the entire South China Sea,
including areas lying off the coast of Malaysian Borneo.
As Malaysia continues to explore for oil and gas off Borneo,
it must contend with Chinese threats and intimidation,
as well as incursion of Chinese vessels into its exclusive economic zone.
See: Chinese expansionism.
7.3
Full democracyFlawed democracyHybrid regimeAuthoritarian regime
51.55
GoodSatisfactoryProblematicDifficultVery Serious
The Barisan Nasional (BN) political coalition ruled Malaysia from independence in 1957 until 2018, maintaining power by manipulating electoral districts, appealing to ethnic nationalism, and suppressing criticism through restrictive speech laws and politicized prosecutions of opposition leaders. The BN lost to an opposition alliance in the 2018 general elections. However, a period of political turbulence and realignment in early 2020 culminated in a new governing coalition that included parties central to the pre-2018 regime. That government was resistant to governance reforms. Concerns about narrowing freedoms persist.
Internet freedom remained restricted in Malaysia during the coverage period. Though there are few formalized restraints on online media outlets, the government blocks websites and orders content removed over political or religious sensitivities. Criminal prosecutions and investigations for social media posts and other forms of online expression also continued to pose threats to internet freedom. Users, particularly those from the LGBT+ community, continue to face online and offline harassment for their online posts.
Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia.
The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories,
separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Malaysia.
The protection of basic human rights is enshrined in Constitution of Malaysia.
These include liberty of the person (Article 5) and prohibition of slavery and forced labour (Article 6).
At the national level, legislative measures that exist to prevent human rights violations and abuses
can be found in acts and laws on issues that either have a human rights component or relate to certain groups of society
whose rights may be at risk of being violated.
Human rights groups are generally critical of the Malaysian government and the Royal Malaysia Police.
Preventive detention laws such as the Internal Security Act and the Emergency (Public Order and Prevention of Crime) Ordinance 1969
allow for detention without trial or charge and as such are a source of concern for human rights organizations like Suara Rakyat Malaysia.