CYBERJAYA, Oct 27 — The Communications and Digital (KKD) Ministry is committed to addressing the requests from the pro-tem committee members of the Malaysia Media Council (MMC) regarding its establishment, said Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching.
Reaching a consensus on critical issues is a priority to ensure the MMC establishment bill can be tabled as soon as possible, at least during the first meeting of Dewan Rakyat next year.
“The pro-tem committee’s wishlist is extensive, but not everything can be fulfilled immediately. However, the priority is to establish the MMC first,” she said to the press after attending today’s Post-2023 National Journalists Day (Hawana) Conference.
A collaborative meeting with the MMC pro-tem committee is scheduled on November 3 to address key aspects of the bill before stakeholders’ engagement, which include the Home Ministry, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, and the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department.
The government’s commitment to establishing the MMC must be fulfilled, with the MMC responsible for formulating a code of conduct for news writing.
“There might be media outlets making mistakes or media agencies with their own agendas… so who will be held accountable to take action? That is why it is crucial to establish the MMC so it can handle this responsibility,” Teo said.
On July 28, the deputy minister said KKD will present the MMC bill in Parliament during the March session next year.
The MMC will include various media platforms in Malaysia, including print, electronic, and online media. Its goal is to empower and ensure media freedom while protecting the rights of media practitioners and promote more responsible media practices.
— Bernama
