Irene Fernandez, der leder en kvindeorganisation, er under anklage for at have offentliggjort påstande om overgreb på indvandringscentre. Param Kumaraswami, FN 's særlige udsending, står over for et søgsmål for bagvaskelse til USD 25 millioner anlagt af to malaysiske selskaber, og regeringen vil ikke anerkende hans immunitet.
A draconian set of laws threaten dissidents and journalists who speak out and people like Lim Guan Eng, an opposition MP, are already in jail for sedition; Irene Fernandez, head of a women's organization, is on trial for publishing allegations of abuses in immigration centres; Param Kumaraswami, a UN special rapporteur, faces a $25m defamation suit brought by two Malaysian companies, and the government refuses to recognize his immunity.