MEDIA companies facing financial difficulties should approach the government for assistance instead of immediately resorting to retrenchments, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said.
He said the Madani government was willing to help struggling media organisations, stressing that laying off journalists and other media personnel should be a last resort.
To help the industry cope with mounting challenges, Fahmi said the government had set aside another RM30 million under the Media Innovation Fund, with applications for the latest round opening tomorrow (Nov 1) and closing on Nov 14.
“I am working to put things right, restore the media industry and place it on a more sustainable footing, with a brighter future,” he said.
Fahmi was speaking at the launch of the Journalists’ Health Screening Programme, a joint initiative by the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) and Cardiac Vascular Sentral Kuala Lumpur (CVSKL), here today.
He said the shift in advertising expenditure towards social media platforms had put traditional media organisations in a difficult position, leaving many struggling to sustain their businesses.
He also criticised major technology companies for failing to provide the necessary cooperation to media organisations, saying some were using their influence to avoid addressing the industry’s concerns.
Fahmi said media companies must also be prepared to embrace new technologies to remain competitive, adding that the government would leave it to individual organisations to decide which technologies to adopt and vendors to engage.
He said he was particularly concerned about the impact of financial difficulties on media workers, warning against indiscriminate job cuts.
“The last thing I want to see happening under my watch is media companies laying off their employees, shutting down, closing their operations or going bankrupt.
“If any media company is facing difficulties, inform me early so that we can ensure media employees do not find themselves in hardship and distress because they have been laid off.
“If there are disciplinary issues, that is a different matter. But if the problem is financial, please approach me. We will do our very best to assist.
“Please, please, please refrain from laying off employees indiscriminately,” he said.
The latest RM30 million allocation follows the previous round of funding under Media Innovation Fund 2.0, which saw the same amount disbursed to 72 Malaysian media companies.
The earlier allocation was intended to support digital transformation, modernisation and the long-term sustainability of local media organisations. - October 31, 2026
