KUALA LUMPUR — History was made for Malaysia’s press corps today with the passing of the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) Bill 2024 in the Dewan Ralyat.
The law is aimed at safeguarding media freedom through self-regulation by a council comprising members of the industry who will develop grievance mechanisms to handle public complaints about the press, as opposed to regulation by the government.
The bill to establish the MMC was passed with a majority voice vote after it was debated by 19 MPs. The bill was tabled for first reading on Dec 14, last year.
At a press conference in Parliament after the bill’s passing, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the council should be established and begin playing its role by the middle of this year.
“After it is passed by the Dewan Negara and receives the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s consent, the law will come into force and we expect the media council to be formed, we hope, by the middle of this year,” Fahmi said.
Earlier, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching, when presenting the bill for the second reading, said the idea of forming a committee or organisation to coordinate media industry governance in Malaysia was first proposed in 1973.
However, she said the establishment of the MMC was only brought to the Cabinet and approved on Dec 6, 2019, before the council’s first meeting was held on Jan 16, 2020, chaired by former Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo.
“Since early 2023, discussions between the Ministry of Communications and the MMC Pro-tem Committee have been actively conducted on a regular basis,” Bernama reported her saying.
The council will also be required to set standards and a code of conduct to guide the practice of ethical and responsible journalism by media practitioners.
Teo, in winding up MPs’ debates on the bill, said the MMC will be a body to manage and “fight for the interests of the local media”.
“Through the council, the government is confident that checks and balances can be carried out by media industry players themselves,” she added.
Several MPs who debated the bill welcomed the forming of a council, with Syahredzan Johan (Bangi-PH) calling it a “game changer” for the media industry.
With the council, he said the Malaysia media would not longer operate under a “state intervention” framework but a self-regulating one.
Opposition lawmaker Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (Pasir Mas-PN), meanwhile, asked why the bill allowed for the council’s board to have two government appointees.
He said there should be no need for council board members appointed by the government if the council is meant to be independent and free from authorities’ influence.
Teo, in response, said this was because government funds would be given to the council to start it off.
The council’s board chairman is not to be someone in politics, the civil service or the legislature.
Other board members will be representatives from media companies, associations and non-media members.
The chairman and board members will be given an allowance. – February 26, 2025