PETALING JAYA: The shorter validity period for media cards issued to journalists from newly-registered news portals is not in force yet, says Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
He said on Wednesday (March 6) those with a validity period of six months or less may apply to the Information Department for a review.
He was responding to complaints about the six-month period reportedly given to those from newly-registered portals and subsequent calls for an explanation by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Previously, the standard validity period for all media cards was two years.
The department subsequently said it was reviewing the standard operating procedure for issuing the card.
Fahmi also pointed out that the media card is not like a licence to practise medicine or law.
“Its issuance is mainly to facilitate attendance at official government events," he told reporters.
Fahmi said not every assignment required a media card, but certain events such as National Day, the Installation of the King, or parliamentary proceedings would.
“As such, these are the considerations that merit the issuance of the media card,” he added.
He said part of the reason for the review was his own encounter with a journalist whose organisation is no longer in operation.
Fahmi also said that several parties, including the Foreign Correspondents' Club, hadf given their views on the revised validity period.
"As such, I have asked the department to re-examine some things. We will issue a follow-up announcement,” he added.
Fahmi stressed that the government did not intend to restrict freedom of speech, but had to make some revisions especially in the challenging online media ecosystem.
Earlier, Fahmi launched the Celcomdigi Health Solutions, a collaboration with the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
It is a continuation of the digitalisation grant for small and medium enterprises announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibahim when tabling Budget 2024 on Oct 23.
