Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) has conceded that the present National Media Council proposal is similar to their 1999 proposal - which ended up being rejected.

um book launching 021205 chamil wariya Contacted yesterday, MPI chief executive officer Chamil Wariya (right) declined to comment on the matter despite being pressed for an answer as he said that the MPI has "got nothing to do with its setting-up".

He was asked on why the latest proposal is a carbon-copy of what was presented before and duly rejected by journalists.

"It’s up to the government to decide… MPI has given its input," said Chamil to Malaysiakini .

During a meeting facilitated by the Home Ministry last week, the MPI submitted a brief two-page proposal outlining the workings of the media council.

It listed the function, the structure and the jurisdiction of the council for the review of editors and media interest groups, plus related laws to press freedom.

MPI was asked by the government to propose the media council back in 1999 and again this year.

The media council is a government initiative to have a central point to deal with the print, electronic and Internet media.

internet media and print media Nine years ago, the talks collapsed after journalists pointed out that the anti-press freedom laws defeated the purpose of a self-regulating council.

Similar sentiments were reportedly expressed in the meeting last week, when MPI said that the proposed model will be formed through an Act of Parliament rather than as an independent commission.

Common fear is that the council will be an additional layer of control, especially since the government is disinclined to repeal the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA)

Chamil however declined to entertain questions and added that everything that he had to convey was already in the proposal.

‘Best practice’

Meanwhile, MPI chairperson Azman Ujang was reported to have said after the meeting that is in total support of the council as it would "promote best practices of journalism".

When contacted for comments today, Azman said, although the meeting was mooted by the government, the formation is "up to the media players".

Asked whether the MPI was in a rush to introduce the council, Azman said that "there is no rush, indeed we are going too slow".

"If this was in a rush, it would have been formed way back in 1970s (when suggestions to form a media council was first brought up). It is year 2008 but we still don't have one," he said.

He also reiterated that the council has be a statutory model as "there would be no respect to it otherwise".

"MPI is just facilitating, the decision is not in our court, it is entirely up to the media players," said Azman.

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