Democracy, Media and Law in Malaysia and Singapore A Space for Speech

Commentators on the media in Southeast Asia either emphasise with optimism the prospect for new media to provide possibilities for greater democratic discourse, or else, less optimistically, focus on the continuing ability of governments to exercise tight and sophisticated control of the media. This book explores these issues with reference to Malaysia and Singapore. It analyses how journalists monitor governments and cover elections, discussing what difference journalism makes; it examines citizen journalism, and the constraints on it, often self-imposed constraints; and it assesses how governments control the media, including outlining the development and current application of legal restrictions.

Introduction: Making Spaces for Speech Amanda Whiting, Andrew Kenyon, Tim Marjoribanks, with Naomita Royan 1. Media Governmentality in Singapore Terence Lee 2. Why Singapore Journalists don’t Press for Legal Reform Cherian George 3. Malaysiakini’s Citizen Journalists: Navigating Local and National Identities Online Janet Steele 4. Seeking Democracy in Malaysia: New Media, Traditional Media and the State Mustafa K. Anuar 5. Defaming Politicians, Scandalising the Courts: A Look at Recent Developments in Singapore Kevin Y.L .Tan 6. Media Professionals’ Perceptions of Defamation and other Constraints upon News Reporting in Malaysia and Singapore Amanda Whiting and Timothy Marjoribanks 7. Moulding a ‘Rational’ Electoral Contest Regime Singapore-Style Tey Tsun Hang 8. New Media and General Elections: Online Citizen Journalism in Malaysia and Singapore James Gomez and Chang Han Leong

Andrew T. Kenyon is Professor of Law at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Tim Majoribanks is Professor in the La Trobe Business School at La Trobe University, Australia. Amanda Whiting is Associate Director of the Asian Law Centre at the University of Melbourne, Australia.