Exposing Social Injustice Under Malaysia’s Lockdown
What we did not expect was the vicious online backlash and the authorities’ actions to target our programme as part of a broader crackdown on media freedom in Malaysia. The virus, it seemed, was not the only thing journalists had to fear in Malaysia. After “Locked Up in Malaysia’s Lockdown” was broadcast, seven 101 East team members became the subjects of a criminal investigation. Forced to undergo police questioning, the crew was investigated for sedition, defamation and violation of Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Act, offences which carry jail terms and fines. Al Jazeera’s Kuala Lumpur bureau was raided by the police and two computers were seized as part of the police investigation. Authorities refused to renew the work visas of reporter Drew Ambrose and producer Jenni Henderson, effectively forcing them to leave Malaysia. The crew also received death threats and were subject to sustained trolling online. It was not just our crew who were targeted in this crackdown on free speech.
Exposing Social Injustice Under Malaysia’s Lockdown Sharon Roobol | Executive Producer ‘101 East’
Kuala Lumpur has been the home base for 101 East, Al Jazeera’s flagship current affairs programme covering the Asia Pacific, for the last 15 years. When COVID-19 broke out in 2020 and the Malaysian capital went into lockdown, our team began seeing how barbed wire barricades were being erected in neighbourhoods that are home to large populations of migrant workers. Then we discovered that authorities were raiding these areas, arresting people with and without visas,
loading them into crowded trucks and ferrying them to detention centres. Malaysia’s government had earlier promised that no action would be taken against undocumented foreigners who came forward for COVID-19 testing. However, it soon became clear that this promise was not being upheld. As fears began to grow about the spread of the virus, we turned our attention to the treatment of migrant workers.
101 East has a proven track record in covering issues affecting this vulnerable population, who are essential to the country’s economy yet often victims of exploitation. We obtained footage of the raids, which took place largely out of public view, and gathered previously unheard testimony from migrants who accused the authorities of misconduct and abuse while in custody. We were well prepared for the unique challenges involved in reporting during a pandemic.
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