However, Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan said he doubted there was any law that would enable the protesters to close the site.
The demand for Malaysiakini’s closure came in the midst of a protest outside the news site’s offices in Section 51 today. A strong police presence kept a crowd of about 300 protesters away.
They demanded to be let through the barricade, and chanted anti-Malaysiakini slogans.
The protest came in the wake of reports of leaked documents of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) started by hedge fund billionaire George Soros, in which Malaysiakini was mentioned.
Government supporters have accused the OSF of attempting to overthrow the government but Malaysiakini has stated it only received a one-off grant in 2011 for producing documentaries on its video arm, KiniTV.
Soros was also alleged to have a direct stake in Malaysiakini, but Gan said only 29 per cent of the company was owned by the US-based Media Development Investment Fund, with the rest owned by Malaysiakini staff.