Minister to address media practitioners' welfare on Wednesday

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil will meet with media practitioners on Wednesday to discuss various issues, particularly their welfare, amid changes in Malaysia’s media landscape.

He said several media companies in the country are struggling to pay salaries due to economic pressures over the past three to four years.

“This is partly due to advertising expenditure shifting from mainstream media to social media.

“As a result, some media outlets have successfully adapted their operations, while others are still trying to find a new footing.

“Given these changes, I intend to explore additional or new ways for the government to assist. For me, the priority is the well-being of media workers,” he told reporters after the Digital Leadership Excellence Graduation Ceremony 2024 in Kuala Lumpur today.

Fahmi was responding to recent issues involving Petra News Sdn Bhd and broader industry changes affecting media companies.

Petra News Sdn Bhd publishes news portals The Malaysian Insight, The Vibes, and Getaran.

On Saturday, 15 Petra News employees demanded the immediate payment of overdue Employees Provident Fund (EPF), monthly tax deductions (PCB), and Social Security Organisation (Socso) contributions for the past year.

In a joint statement, they revealed that checks with EPF, the Inland Revenue Board, and Socso confirmed that Petra News failed to remit both employer and employee contributions, despite salary deductions being made.

The affected employees lodged a police report at the Travers Police Station in Brickfields on Feb 14.

Outstanding payments, salary delays

Meanwhile, Fahmi confirmed a meeting between Petra News employees and the company’s management took place this morning, but added that he has yet to receive the latest updates on the matter.

The minister had urged Petra News yesterday to engage with its employees to promptly resolve outstanding statutory contributions and salary delays.

When asked whether the government plans to introduce regulatory mechanisms to prevent similar issues, Fahmi said media companies are already subject to regulation under the Companies Commission of Malaysia.

“There are existing regulatory aspects, especially concerning employee rights, such as contributions to the EPF and coverage under Socso.

“Generally, we do not restrict the formation of new media companies,” he added.

- Bernama

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