KUALA LUMPUR: Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil today reiterated that journalists must assist the police with investigations concerning their sources.
"While journalists have the right to produce news reports, the police, too, based on the existing laws, have the right to investigate.
"This is not contradictory. If you (the journalists) stand by your news reports and sources, please cooperate with the police.
"It should not be an issue," he told reporters after flagging off the participants of the Kembara Merdeka Jalur Gemilang 2024 convoy for Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur today.
Fahmi said media practitioners had the right to protect the confidentiality of their sources.
"However, if a police report is lodged, the police will have to investigate," he said.
Yesterday, Malaysiakini journalists spent more than an hour giving statements to the police regarding an article about an alleged leadership reshuffle in the force.
They left the Dang Wangi police headquarters at 3.45pm.
On Tuesday (Aug 6), Malaysiakini published a report claiming that Bukit Aman was reshuffling its leadership, an allegation Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Hassan described as "fake news".
On Thursday (Aug 8), three journalists were summoned to the Dang Wangi police headquarters to have their statements recorded.
Since then, media organisations such as Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm) and the National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJM) have strongly opposed any action that could jeopardise the journalists' right to protect the identity of their sources.
Meanwhile, asked if Malaysia's standing in the World Press Freedom Index, produced by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), would further decline following the issue involving the reporters, Fahmi said: "The ranking does not truly reflect what is happening in the country, but rather what is happening in the whole world.
"So if you stay at one place (ranking), certain countries move up, and you'll go down. That's the explanation."
Malaysia's ranking fell 34 places to 107th this year, from 73rd last year.
The World Press Freedom Index 2024 reported that Malaysia's score is at 52.07 points compared with 62.83 last year.
Last year, Malaysia saw a notable leap of 40 places to 73rd in the World Press Freedom Index, up from 113th in 2022 (51.55 points).