Malaysia's media industry made history today as the Dewan Rakyat passed the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) Bill 2024, which aims, among other things, to safeguard media freedom in ensuring the public receives accurate, credible and fair information.

The bill to establish the MMC was passed with a majority voice vote after it was debated by 18 MPs.

Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching, when presenting the bill for the second reading, said the idea of forming a committee or organisation to coordinate media industry governance in Malaysia was first proposed in 1973.

However, she said the establishment of the MMC was only brought to the cabinet and approved on Dec 6, 2019, before the council’s kick-off meeting was held on Jan 16, 2020, chaired by former communications and multimedia minister Gobind Singh Deo.

“Since early 2023, discussions between the Communications Ministry and the MMC pro tem committee have been actively conducted on a regular basis,” she said.

Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching.

Teo said that with the establishment of the MMC, the government is confident that the media industry itself can implement checks and balances to enhance integrity and ethical compliance.

She noted that one of the challenges currently faced by the media industry is the absence of a standard reporting code of ethics applicable to all media practitioners in Malaysia.

According to Teo, if the public feels affected by media reporting, they have no platform to lodge complaints, nor is there a resolution mechanism through the existing legal process in the courts.

Media Council to set standards

Therefore, she said the establishment of the MMC would help set media standards, create a communication channel between the public, the media and the government, and serve as a body that facilitates complaint resolution.

“The government believes the time has come to establish a body to coordinate media governance in Malaysia, led by the media industry itself. The formation of the MMC, with the involvement of various stakeholders, will create a comprehensive code of ethics that can be applied across the industry,” she said.

Under the bill, the MMC will also be responsible for coordinating matters related to training, capacity building, and professional development of journalists and media organisations.

Additionally, it will manage and maintain a database containing information on media practitioners and independent media practitioners to support the continuous development of the media and journalism industry.

Left to right: Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, MMC pro tem committee chairman Premesh Chandran, and Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching after the passing of the MMC Bill.

Meanwhile, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil described the passing of the bill as a major victory for media freedom in the country.

“Once enforced, we anticipate that a founding board will be established, and we hope that the Malaysian Media Council can be formed by mid-year if all goes well.

“There is still a long way to go, and this is just the beginning, but it is a significant victory for media freedom in Malaysia,” he told a press conference at the Parliament building today.

Malaysian Media Council pro tem committee chairperson Premesh Chandran described the bill’s approval as a proud moment for the media industry, ensuring a more robust legal framework for media regulation.

“We appreciate the efforts of the pro tem committee members who have worked tirelessly for nearly five years without pay to make this law a reality. If the media is strong, we hope the voice of the people will also grow stronger,” he said.

- Bernama