MalaysiaNow mysteriously inaccessible to some since June 27

Since yesterday afternoon, MalaysiaNow's website at www.malaysianow.com has been inaccessible to a large number of readers.

This is despite an in-depth investigation by our technical expert showing nothing out of the ordinary with our server. We have also ruled out any attack on our site.

We can now say with some surety that users of at least two mobile carriers – Celcom and Maxis – cannot access our website.

Queries to their help desks were met with assurances that there have been no changes that could affect users who visit www.malaysianow.com.

We continue to see readers from outside of Malaysia, but our normal local readership has been almost halved. We suspect that they are Celcom and Maxis users who cannot access the site.

With the use of VPN, which allows access to blocked websites, we find that users have no problem reaching MalaysiaNow. 

This leaves us with the possibility of an unlawful attempt to block our website.

Efforts to reach Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil have been in vain. An aide has repeatedly told us that he is "busy". 

The aide claims that MalaysiaNow has not been blocked, and says they are waiting for a report from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, the body vested with the power to block access to websites.

The response is not helpful.

We have in the meantime asked those who cannot access the site to follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/4uexxmu4.

Having addressed the technical side of the problem, we will soon be lodging reports with the relevant authorities.

We would like to state that we reserve the right to measures allowed by law to deal with any breach of powers by any parties leading to the inaccessibility of our website. 

Abdar Rahman Koya
Editor and CEO

Note: If you are able to read this article, it may be because you are using a VPN, your internet service provider does not have any restrictions, you are not in Malaysia or you are using our alternative link at http://mnow-main-site-1749948968.ap-southeast-1.elb.amazonaws.com/.