Pressure of Truth
Exposing the spin on all sides of the news.
Outlet profile

Free Malaysia Today

Malaysian right-center

Owned byFMT Media Sdn Bhd, operating under REV Media Group, a subsidiary of Media Prima Berhad. The largest shareholder bloc in Media Prima is former UMNO minister Johari Abdul Ghani and his son (~32.96% combined); businessman Syed Mokhtar Albukhary holds approximately 31.9%.
FundingPrimarily advertising revenue; operates as a digital-only publication under the commercial Media Prima group.
On the administrationmostly neutral

Background

Free Malaysia Today (FMT) launched in November 2009 as an English- and Malay-language online news portal, positioning itself as an independent alternative to Malaysia's largely government-linked print and broadcast media. It emerged in a climate shaped by the 2007–2008 Reformasi movement and growing public demand for uncensored political coverage. FMT Media Sdn Bhd was eventually brought under REV Media Group, a digital publishing arm of the publicly listed Media Prima Berhad — one of Malaysia's largest media conglomerates with ties to the ruling UMNO establishment. As of mid-2026, former UMNO minister Johari Abdul Ghani and his son collectively hold the largest stake in Media Prima at roughly 32.96%, surpassing Syed Mokhtar Albukhary's 31.9% bloc. Media Bias/Fact Check rates FMT as right-center biased, citing a pattern of favorable, uncritical coverage of figures close to its ownership — particularly Johari Ghani — while applying greater scrutiny to center-left politicians such as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Its factual reporting is rated 'mixed' and its overall credibility 'medium.' FMT draws substantial traffic — around 11–12 million monthly visits — making it one of Malaysia's most-read news sites. Coverage of the Trump administration has appeared mainly through the lens of U.S. tariff policy and bilateral trade negotiations, reflecting Malaysia's direct stake in those disputes rather than any ideological alignment.

Sources

  1. Free Malaysia Today – Wikipedia
  2. Free Malaysia Today – Bias and Credibility – Media Bias/Fact Check
  3. REV Media Group – Wikipedia
  4. Media Prima – Wikipedia
  5. Johari Ghani and son now control 32.96% of Media Prima, skirting MGO threshold – The Edge Malaysia
  6. Ex-minister Johari now the second largest shareholder of Media Prima after Syed Mokhtar – The Edge Malaysia
  7. About FMT – Free Malaysia Today

Profile compiled 2026-09-03; refreshed when ownership, funding, or the administration changes.

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