The Attorney-General's Chambers is coming up with media guidelines that are more comprehensive to assist media practitioners go about their work effectively, said Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

He said the guidelines were also important to the ministry to enable it to take the right action against those who deliberately tried to sow discord among the people.

"The government is taking this action (coming up with the guidelines)to ensure the Malaysian media does not engage in sedition, libel, making baseless accusations or other unethical practices that can have a negative impact on the country and people," he said in his speech at MPI-Petronas 2009 Eminent Journalists Awards presentation ceremony organised by the Malaysian Press Instute at the Sime Darby Convention Centre in Bukit Kiara today.

The text of his speech was read out by his deputy Abu Seman Yusop.

Hishammuddin also said to assist the media to report more responsibly,  a special commmittee, involving the Prime Minister's Department, the Home Ministry, Information Communication and Culture Ministry and the AG's Chambers, was being formed to monitor newspapers of all languages at all times.

He added that the Home Ministry was very open about media freedom in the country but the media must also conform to the ethics of the profession and that the government's action against certain party organs recently should not be seen as the government reigning in the print media.

 - Bernama