KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Negara today passed the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) Bill 2024, which aims, among others, to pave the way for a more democratic, independent and ethical media in Malaysia.
The bill, tabled for the second reading by Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching, was passed by a majority voice vote after being debated by 17 Senators.
When winding up the debate, Teo said a code of conduct must be approved at the MMC’s annual general meeting to allow the council to establish its own regulations without government interference.
“We want to empower the media council. We believe it can self-regulate, and therefore, we will grant it the authority to approve its own code of conduct, including procedures for handling grievances,” she said.
Teo added that the MMC Committee would have the authority to invite any individual, whether a member or non-member, to participate in its investigations.
“If the committee finds that a news report is unethical, it can suspend the membership of the individual concerned.
“If a suspension is deemed insufficient and a more serious action is needed, it may recommend the Royal Malaysia Police to take action or the Information Department to suspend the individual’s media accreditation card,” she said.
Teo explained that the bill provides for two government representatives on the MMC Board, as it is a body established through government legislation and is accountable to the Communications Ministry.
“Therefore, it is appropriate for the government to have representation on the council for government matters, and as stipulated in the bill, these representatives must be from the media industry, such as RTM and Bernama,” she said.
Teo stressed that those appointed to represent the government must come from the media industry and not merely serve as government agents.
“I believe their involvement in MMC will have a positive impact, and I would like to emphasise that there are 21 members on the council, meaning the government representatives make up only a small fraction. I trust the other members will do their best to ensure no government interference.
“If the two government representatives propose any motion or do something that threatens media freedom, I believe the 19 other council members will not endorse such an initiative. We believe in the wisdom of the majority, which is a core principle of democracy,” she said.
