In the latest World Press Freedom Index, Malaysia jumped 22 spots up to the 123rd placing among 180 countries, as reported by the New Straits Times.
The index is a list compiled by an independent non-governmental organisation based in Paris, Reporters Sans Frontieres or Reporters Without Borders (RSF), which zooms in on a country's performance in pluralism, media independence and respect for the safety and freedom of journalists.
This year, our country achieved a lower score by 10.67 points, which in this case, is a good thing because a higher score shows a decline in press freedom.
And in even better news, we should also be proud because Malaysia currently sits at the top spot among our Southeast Asian neighbours!
After Malaysia, comes Indonesia ranking 124th place, Philippines at 134th, Thailand at 136th, Myanmar at 138th, Cambodia at 143rd, Singapore at 151st, Brunei at 152nd, Laos at 171st, and Vietnam at 176th.
It cannot be denied that Malaysia's press freedom reached new heights following the change in power after the 14th General Election on 9 May last year.
The RSF found that the enviroment for journalists now is facing less pressure to conduct self-censorship and the media is generally covering more neutral or balanced opinions.
Although our nation still has laws that suppress media freedom like the Sedition Act 1948, the Official Secrets Act 1972 and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had kept his word to repeal the anti-fake news law implemented by the previous government.
Kudos to our fellow peers in the media industry! What do you think of this improved ranking?