KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23 — The establishment of the Malaysian Media Council needs a ‘touch’ of media practitioners themselves, not the government, said Tokoh Wartawan Negara (National Eminent Journalist) Tan Sri Johan Jaaffar.
He said it was to avoid the issue of the government’s dominance over the media thus hindering the media’s right to freedom.
“If media practitioners mobilise the council, it can ensure that the rights of the media are voiced collectively by those who have been involved in carrying out their duties as journalists.
“In this matter, the government and the media council can give each other a ‘two-way traffic’ view,” he said when speaking as a guest on Bernama Radio‘s ‘Dalam Radar: Arus Media Massa’ programme yesterday.
Recently, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government would look into the setting up of the Malaysian Media Council as one of the commitments of the Unity Government.
Meanwhile, Johan also expressed the need to create a commission or a similar organisation that would allow the public to lodge complaints about news reports, so that the balance in (news reports) can be maintained as best as possible.
“The idea is not to monitor or make life difficult for reporters but we are doing a favour for our profession by allowing people to complain (with valid proofs) and we learn from that as an experience,” he said.
— Bernama
