Media Council Comms Ministry Assures Govt Reps Will Be Newsmen

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PARLIAMENT | Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said the government representatives on the Malaysian Media Council board will be from the industry.
The government representatives will most likely be from the national news agency Bernama or national broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), she told the Dewan Rakyat today.
“I believe that the staff from RTM and Bernama can also bring the voice of the industry to the media council board.
“We believe that government staff will be professional and will represent not only the government but also do what is best for the media industry,” she said during the presentation of the Malaysian Media Council Bill 2024.
Previously, critics had pointed to Section 8(1)(b) of the bill, which necessitates the appointment of two government representatives to the council’s board.
Both officials are to be nominated by the communications minister and they are meant to represent the government’s interests, which critics argued could compromise the council’s independence.
The bill passed both the second and third readings in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Financial matters
Teo went on to clarify that Finance Ministry officials on the council board function to oversee financial matters pertaining to government allocations.
“It is also fair for government representatives from the Finance Ministry to be on the council board to monitor the use of allocations and the media council’s financial affairs.
“If the media council no longer receives any allocation from the government, then they do not need any government representatives from the Finance Ministry any longer,” she added.
According to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil in a press conference after the passing of the bill, the idea of a media council was first envisioned in 1973.
“So what we have accomplished today we can say has been postponed for 52 years,” he said.
Civil society groups and the news industry have been lobbying for decades for self-regulation through a media council, to replace repressive laws being used to control the media.
Fahmi expressed his hope that the council would be established by the middle of the year. - Mkini

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