THE Malaysian Media Council Bill 2024, which will move the local mass media industry towards self-regulation, has been passed in the Dewan Rakyat. It was passed through a voice vote after the third reading by Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching. A total of 19 MPs participated in the debates on the Bill after it was tabled for the first reading on Dec 12 last year. In her speech, she said the council will need to introduce a code of conduct with ethical and responsible standards of journalism for media practitioners. She added that the media council was proposed back in 1973 by the second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein. “However, the memorandum to set up the council was only tabled to the Cabinet and approved on Dec 6, 2019,” she said. Since then, Teo said a draft Bill was received by a 21-member pro-tem committee in Aug 2020, after which 26 engagement sessions with stakeholders were held. The committee now has 40 representatives from the media industry. Teo said Clause 5 of the Bill outlines the functions of the council, among them to set and regulate standards and professional conduct of media practitioners and independent media practitioners. “For now, we don’t have a body to manage and fight for the interests of the local media. “Through the setting up of the council, the government is confident that check-and-balance can be carried out by media industry players themselves,” she added. She said the Bill aims to set up remedial mechanisms and disciplinary proceedings, as well as coordinating training courses among media practitioners. “Presently, if the public is upset by news reports, they don’t have a platform to complain and there is no remedial mechanism, while the legal process in court may take a long time and is costly.” Teo said many other countries have their own media councils since the 1950s, with the earliest being Germany in 1956, followed by India (1966), Indonesia (1968), Australia (1972), and Ireland (2008) “Based on the media council mechanisms in these countries, there are a few similarities with Malaysia’s media council, such as the formation of a platform to receive and evaluate public complaints on media-related matters,” she added. The council will be governed by a board comprising a chairman who is not involved in politics, the civil service or legislature, and two members representing the government. There will be four members from each media company, media associations and non-media members, and it will have at least one woman and one representative from Sabah and Sarawak. The chairman and board members will be paid an allowance. A board member shall hold office for two years. The Bill came into being following calls by various media groups for the establishment of a regulatory body aimed at safeguarding press freedom and promoting ethical standards in Malaysian journalism. At a press conference later, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the passing of the Bill is a historical moment, as it was an idea conceived more than 52 years ago. He added that the Bill was initially revived in 2019, but it was temporarily put aside due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the changes in the government that took place after 2020. “Once I was appointed as the Communications Minister, my deputy and I decided to revive the protem committee,” he added. During the debate, Syahredzan Johan (PH-Bangi) said the media council will ensure that the local media industry would be able to self-regulate. “Any complaints or concerns on media reports will be handled and settled with a remedial mechanism that will be drafted by the council,” he added. Datuk Shamshulkahar Mohd Deli (BN-Jempol) said the Bill was a step in the right direction. He supported the formation of an avenue to resolve disputes or complaints by the public who may feel that they are defamed by a news report. Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas) questioned the need to appoint two government representatives to the council, adding that it should be free of government influence. (ICE KUALA LUMPUR)

Fonte notizia: 27 febbraio 2025, Kuala Lumpur