PAS slams MCMC compound against newspapers

Summary

• PAS condemns RM100,000 compounds imposed by MCMC on publishers of Sin Chew Daily and Sinar Harian.

• Fines “excessive”, an act of bullying media into compliance with certain political lines, Takiyuddin says.

PAS has joined the chorus condemning the RM100,000 compound that the MCMC imposed on the publishers of Sin Chew Daily and Sinar Harian.

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan echoed concerns raised by the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) over the fines, which have courted backlash from various quarters.

The opposition party claimed that the "excessive" compound appears to be an act of “bullying” the media into compliance with certain political lines, pressures, and government wishes.

Takiyuddin warned against creating a climate of self-censorship that risks eroding the independent role of the media as the fourth pillar of democracy and a channel of information for the people.

He also highlighted that as media organisations which have long reported on national developments, both Sin Chew Daily and Sinar Harian should not be treated in such an "unreasonable manner".

"The step taken by both media outlets to promptly withdraw the erroneous reports, correct them, and issue public apologies as soon as the errors were realised is sufficient, in light of their stature, contributions, and longevity," Takiyuddin argued in a statement last night.

"In the publishing world, such actions already constitute a 'punishment' in themselves due to the impact on the integrity and credibility of the media in the eyes of readers.

"Only repeated offences of the same nature can be regarded as serious enough to justify harsh measures to the level taken by MCMC in this case," he argued.

MMC action sufficient

Takiyuddin added that internal action by MMC, as the self-regulatory body for the nation’s media industry, is "sufficient" to ensure standards of journalistic ethics, responsibility, integrity, and compliance with the law among practitioners and industry players.

"The role of the council to receive and investigate complaints regarding the media and its reporting must be respected - and even strengthened - without direct interference by external parties before the internal process is allowed to run its course.

"Any contrary action will only undermine the status, role, and purpose for which the council was established, rendering it meaningless," he said.

Yesterday, the MCMC announced that it has imposed RM100,000 fines each against Sin Chew Media Corporation Berhad and Sinar Karangkraf Sdn Bhd, following authorisation from the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

Both publishers were investigated under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and charged under Section 243 of the same law.

For Sin Chew, this was allegedly for publishing an illustration featuring a Jalur Gemilang that was incomplete.

For Karangkraft, it’s daily Sinar Harian reportedly published an infographic that erroneously stated that Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail was a PKR member.

In response, the MMC said that while it acknowledges MCMC’s enforcement powers under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, such action must be applied with balance and fairness.

The council said inadvertent mistakes, though regrettable, should invite corrective measures rather than punitive sanctions that threaten newsroom viability, discourage public-interest reporting, and stifle media diversity.

National journalism laureate Johan Jaafar has also called the MCMC’s actions “unprecedented and dangerous," arguing that it can be seen as a bid to undermine the principles of free press and free speech in Malaysia.

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