While welcoming the government's proposal to organise National Press Day beginning this year, the Institute of Journalists Malaysia (IoJ) said the government should look into fundamental issues concerning media freedom.

"Malaysia occupies a lowly ranking of 146 in the 2016 World Press Freedom Index, while media outlets and journalists are still subject to high handed actions by the authorities," said IoJ in a statement today.

Yesterday, Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak had said it was time for Malaysia to have a National Press Day to acknowledge and recognise the contribution of media practitioners in the development of the country.

"In recent years, journalists had been arrested under the colonial-era law Sedition Act, while news organisations had faced criminal investigation and also had their websites blocked by the government over news reports deemed to be against the state's interests," said IoJ.

Such restrictions had contributed to the shutting down of news portal The Malaysian Insider last year, it added.

"Journalists from media organisations such as news portal Malaysiakini remain barred from various government buildings, such as the Prime Minister's Office, denying them fair access to information.

"There is still no adequate protection for journalists and whistleblowers to encourage free and fair reporting, and to empower journalists to conduct more investigative reporting," it said.

Likewise, the NGO said journalists from state-controlled media had also been barred or refused entry by opposition political parties in the past.

"The National Journalists' Day should not distract the government and leading media practitioners from the struggle to ensure the media is allowed to operate freely and independently without any interference or threats of criminal action," it stressed.

"We urge the government to use the opportunity of the celebration to open up dialogue with journalists and create a more independent media landscape in the country, and also outline ways to improve Malaysia's press freedom standing.

"Any celebration of the press should be done in the spirit of press freedom, and this includes dismantling laws that curtails press freedom, and increase commitment to increase protection for journalists and whistleblowers," it said.