Kuala Lumpur: The use of the Sedition Act 1948 surged in 2025, with 36 cases recorded, compared with 19 in 2024, an 84% increase, according to the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ).
In its “Freedom of Expression (FOE) Report 2025”, CIJ said political critics and student activists were increasingly targeted under the law.
It also noted a broader trend of rising investigations and arrests under restrictive speech laws, from 189 cases in 2024 to 233 this year.
“We have 36 monitored incidents involving 42 individuals, with political critics and student activists representing 14% each,” Irfan Naveen, CIJ’s monitoring and action programme officer, told a press conference on the report’s launch today.
Irfan said the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) remained the most frequently used law against online expression, with recent amendments introducing harsher penalties and expanded enforcement powers.
The report also highlighted a rise in the overlapping use of multiple laws, including the Sedition Act and CMA, to criminalise the same speech, creating legal uncertainty.
“The overlap of regulatory laws demonstrates that the enforcement ecosystem is no longer isolated from one another,” Irfan added.
On censorship, it noted that the home ministry banned 24 book publications, mostly on grounds of public morality, and flagged new film censorship guidelines that restrict themes involving religion, race, and sexuality.
Restrictions on cultural performances, including new guidelines from the Johor Islamic religious department that require shows to “align with Islamic teachings”, were cited as further examples of shrinking artistic space.
“The Johor Islamic religious department introduced new guidelines to ensure ‘kuda kepang’ and other cultural performances align with Islamic teachings, so they’re losing their actual heritage,” Irfan said.
Digital regulation was also flagged as a major concern in the report, with CIJ saying that plans to introduce mandatory electronic Know-Your-Customer (eKYC) identity verification for all social media users by the second quarter of 2026 posed serious risks to journalists, activists, and vulnerable communities who rely on anonymity for safety.
The report noted heavy online content moderation, with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission issuing 54,175 takedown requests between January 2022 and September this year, 85% of which were successfully removed.
