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FreedomofSpeech(FreedominCommunication)

KOM5111 CommunicationTheoryProf.Dr.Md Salleh Hassan

MasterofCorporateCommunicationPutraUniversityMalaysia(UPM)

"Everyonehastherighttofreedomofopinionandexpression;thisrightincludesfreedomtohold

opinionswithoutinterference,andimpartinformationandideasthroughanymediaregardlessoffrontiers"

UniversalDeclarationofHumanRights

Contents

1. Definition

2. Founder

3. Development

4. MainConcept

5. Variables

6. Application

7. Criticisms

8. FutureDevelopment

FREEDOMOFSPEECHBYDEFINITION

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Freedomofspeechisthefreedomofcommunicationandexpressionthroughvariousofmediumsuchastheelectronicmediaandpublishedprintedmaterials

THEFOUNDER

FatherofClassical

Liberalism JohnLockewasaknown

majorcontributortotheWestern LiberalTheory

Hewasbornon29thofAugust1632atWrington,

Somerset,England

and

had

diedattheageof72on28October1704atEssex,England

Bachelor'sDegreein1656 Master'sDegree1658 BachelorofMedicinein

1674

TheTwoTreatisesof

Government

Locke arguedabout

naturalindividual

rights

withthegovernment

Itwasinitiallypublishedanonymouslyin1889.

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FREEDOMOFSPEECH:THEDEVELOPMENT

GlobalPressFreedom&

The

Laws

Globalpressfreedomcanbeinfluencedby:

Politics

Culture

Economy

Religion

Preservationof

information

are

often

protectedunderlawsorlegalprotectionsunderthegovernmentofnationsworldwide.

Europe

TheFreedomofPresslawswerefirstpassedinthePolish LithuanianCommonwealthin1539

In1688,

the

Glorious

Revolution

in

England

establishedparliamentarysovereigntyover

theCrownandtherightsofrevolution.

In1766,oneoftheworldsfirstFreedomofPressActwasintroducedinSweden

U.S.A

ThefirstU.S.CongressdraftedtheBillofRightsin1791

TheFirstAmendmentwasascertainontheconceptthatthepressshouldoperatefreely

Restrictions

and

laws

covering

the

media

can

be

dividedinto

six

categories:

Federalgovernmentrestrictions Priorrestraint

Censorship Libel

Privacy Therightofaccess

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Malaysia TheSeditionAct1948

prohibitsactionsdeemedasseditiousthatcriminalisesspeechwithseditioustendency

PrintingPressesandPublicationsAct(PPPA)of1984 legislativeactregulatestheprinting,importing,

(re)production,disseminationanddistributionofpublicationsandpenalisesbreachesofthesewith,amongotherthingsaprisontermuptothreeyears

Other

effective

means

of

opression through

legislation

law: DefamationAct(1957)

OfficialSecretsAct(1972)

InternalSecurityAct(ISA)

1960

The

most

controversial

law

in

Malaysia

where

it

authorisespoliceofficersofanyranktotakesuspectsintocustody

Custodyrangesfrom24hourstouptotwoyears

RepealoftheISA(1960)

September15,2011:PrimeMinisterDatoSeriNajib Tun Razak hasannouncedTheISAistoberepealedandreplacedbySecurityOffences(SpecialMeasures)Act2012

becauseitnolonger

providedapolitical

edgetothegovernment

oftheday

DS

Najib Razak

THESTATISTICSTheDevelopment

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Freedom

of

the

Press

2013

Rankings

HIGHLIGHTSINFREEDOMOFSPEECH

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Main

Concept Themainconceptsthatcanbehighlightedin

FreedomofSpeechare:

GlobalPressFreedom

LegalProtection

PreservationofInformation(politics,economy,cultureandreligion)

Variables

PreservationofInformation

&

LegalProtection

PreservationofInformation

&

LegalProtectionGlobalPressFreedomGlobalPressFreedom

IV DV

THEFIGHTFORFREEDOMOFSPEECH

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WHATTHECRITICSSAY?

Suara RakyatMalaysia

(SUARAM)

Suara RakyatMalaysia(SUARAM)criticisestheThe SecurityOffences(SpecialMeasures)Act2012(SOSMA2012)thatreplacesthe

ISA1960

legislation

act

as

old

wine

in

anew

bottlesinceitstillalloweddetentionwithout

trialandsolitarydetention

Malaysiakini cofounder

StevenGan (2002)criticisesthefreedomofspeechsituationinMalaysiaas

thereisfreedomofspeech,butnofreedomafter

speech

condemnstheISAasitsthreatcastsanominousshadowontheworkdonebyalljournalists

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