Cover image via The Malaysian Insider
On Monday, 14 March, the week started on a heartbreaking note for many Malaysian news readers as popular news portal, The Malaysian Insider informed that they will officially shut down their site on the midnight of the very same day
Image via The Malaysian Insider
The news of the shut down came in the form of a heart-rendering post by TMI's editor of eight years, renowned journalist, Jahabar Sadiq, that reads:
Image via The Malaysian Insider/ Facebook
Just late last month, on 25 February, TMI celebrated its 8th year milestone in the Malaysian media industry, having been publishing stories since 2008.
However, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission banned the site on their 8th anniversary for "national security".
A notice by the MCMC that says The Malaysian Insider cannot be viewed in Malaysia as it has been found to have breached national laws
Image via The Malaysian Insider
Ever since the news broke out yesterday, the masses have been curious about the sudden shut down, with many wondering if it had anything to do with the recent media clampdowns in the country
Despite all that, The Malaysian Insider management has clarified and stressed that the news portal was only closed because it "failed to receive enough commercial support"
Image via Digital News Asia
However, The Edge Media Group (TEMG) publisher and Group CEO Ho Kay Tat said that MCMC's recent ban on the site became the "key stumbling block in negotiations" for the management buyout
Along with TMI's official statement on the shut down, speculations have been pouring in from different parties, especially members of the political scene, namely:
1. Lenggong MP Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah disagreed with the opinion that the government had a play in the untimely demise of TMI and insisted that the site shut down due to "internal problems" and not because of the government
2. DAP's Lim Kit Siang on the other hand, thinks that the Barisan Nasional government is the reason behind the death of TMI, reminding the government of their guarantee of "no Internet censorship" made during Dr Mahathir's reign
3. Local rights group, National Human Rights Society (Hakam) is under the opinion that MCMC's prolonged block on the site led to its eventual shut down
National Human Rights Society (Hakam) chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenavasan
Image via The Malay Mail Online
