CYBERJAYA – The Ministry of Communications and Digital (KKD) is committed to addressing the requests from the pro-tem committee members of the Malaysia Media Council (MMC) regarding its establishment, said Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching.
She said reaching a consensus on critical issues is a priority for the ministry to ensure that the MMC establishment bill can be tabled as soon as possible, at least during the first meeting of Dewan Rakyat next year.
"The pro-tem committee's wishlist is quite extensive, but not everything can be fulfilled immediately. However, the priority is to establish the MMC first," she told reporters after attending the Post-2023 National Journalists Day (HAWANA) Conference here today.
Teo said a collaborative meeting with the MMC pro-tem committee is scheduled on Nov 3, to address key aspects of the bill before stakeholders' engagement, which include the Home Ministry, the Attorney General's Chambers, and the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister's Department.
Teo added that the government's commitment to establish the MMC must be fulfilled, with the MMC taking on the responsibility of formulating a code of conduct for news writing.
"There might be media outlets making mistakes or media agencies with their own agendas... so who will be held accountable to take action? That's why it's crucial to establish the MMC so it can handle this responsibility," she said.
On July 28, Teo was reported as saying that KKD will present the MMC bill in Parliament by the March session next year.
The MMC will include various media platforms in Malaysia, including print, electronic, and online media. Its goal is to empower and ensure media freedom while protecting the rights of media practitioners, while promoting more responsible media practices. – Bernama, October 27, 2023
