Journalist union to reject a timid press council
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ), which has been kept in the dark over the proposed Malaysian Press Council, said it would not give its backing to the body if it compromises press freedom.
NUJ will not support the press council if its structures or mechanism are not in favour of enhancing press freedom in Malaysia, NUJ president Norila Mohd Daud told malaysiakini .
She also lamented that union was not represented in the 14-member committee which drafted the proposal for the press council.
NUJ, which was established in 1962, is the only body representing the interests and welfare of journalists in the country with some 1,400 members under its fold.
Malaysiakini reported early this month that a draft on the proposed press council which carried recommendations from the committee has been submitted to the Home Affairs Ministry last November.
However, the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI), a body representing some 30 media organisations which was tasked by the government to study the establishment of the press council, refused to reveal its findings.
MPIs director Zaihan Mahmud said the document would only be made public after the government had made a decision on the matter.
No clue
Norila said that she attended two meetings to discuss the press council proposal but she had no clue on what happened since.
We did not see the final draft, Norila said.
She added the first meeting, which was also attended by MPI representatives, academics and media professionals, was called by the Home Affairs Ministry.
The meeting, chaired by Information Ministry parliamentary secretary Zainuddin Maidin, created heated discussions on the press council idea.
The union leader said the second meeting, which was chaired by Berita Harian group editor Ahmad Rejal Arbee, was mostly a brainstorming session.
Norila pointed out that during the session, NUJ stressed that it would not want to see the press council turning into a watchdog for the government that places even more hindrance on the countrys media.
She said there were already many laws which restricted press freedom.
The government's proposal to set up the press council has caused anxiety within the media fraternity as certain groups feared the council will be used by the authorities to further tighten the noose on journalists.
Malaysian journalists are bound by various legal restrictions via laws such as Printing Presses and Publications Act, Official Secrets Act as well as defamation suits slapped on journalists.
Under the PPPA for example, newspapers must obtain a licence from the Home Ministry before they are allowed to operate, and the licence must be renewed annually.
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