Malaysia has achieved its highest-ever ranking in the Reporters Without Borders’ (RSF) 2023 World Press Freedom Rankings, climbing from 113th place last year to 73rd place.
This places Malaysia in the same group as Hungary and Sierra Leone. The previous record was set in 2020 when Malaysia was ranked 101st out of 180 countries.
Malaysia has also secured the highest ranking among ASEAN countries for two consecutive years, beating Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore.
Thailand ranks 106th, Indonesia 108th, Singapore 129th, the Philippines 132nd, Brunei 142nd, Cambodia 147th, Vietnam 178th, Laos 160th, and Myanmar 173rd.
Timor-Leste, which is awaiting admission to ASEAN, ranked 10th, surpassing even New Zealand (13th) and Australia (27th).
The rankings were announced by the international organisation Reporters Without Borders, based in Paris, which provides safety resources for journalists and conducts research on press freedom worldwide.
The 2023 World Press Freedom Index will be officially released on May 3, in conjunction with the United Nations’ World Press Freedom Day.
