Cabinet approves Media Council Bill, to be tabled in Dewan next week

The cabinet has approved the Malaysian Media Council Bill, according to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil. 

He said the bill will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat for its first reading next week.

“The cabinet’s approval of the Media Council Bill today is hoped to be good news for our media colleagues. Finally, the bill is on track. 

“The Media Council Bill has been approved by the cabinet to be brought to Parliament and will be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat.

“If there is time, it will be debated and go through a second reading in this session. Otherwise, it has been scheduled for debate in the next session,” Fahmi said during a press conference in Putrajaya today.

The establishment of the Malaysian Media Council aims to develop and implement a code of ethics for reporting to strengthen the journalism profession in the country and ensure responsible news reporting by the media. 

The council will also promote communication between media practitioners, the government, and the public while supporting the professional development of journalists and media organisations.

Meanwhile, the media council's pro-tem committee chairperson Premesh Chandran told Malaysiakini that they had yet to see the final draft of the bill.

“We welcome today’s decision after a lengthy process, including discussions and negotiations with stakeholders including media practitioners, the government, and others.

“But anyway, we haven’t seen the final draft of the bill, so we can’t give any comment.

“After it is tabled in Parliament, we will give the appropriate response,” he said.

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