KUALA LUMPUR: The latest on the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) will be announced during the summit of the coming National Journalists’ Day (Hawana) 2025, says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil (pic).
The Communications Minister said the MMC was set up with the clear mission of defending media freedom, ensuring fair and responsible reporting, and serving as a channel for the people to air grievances against the media in a civil manner.
He said the other notable achievement was when the Dewan Rakyat passed the Malaysian Media Council Bill 2024 in February.
“After more than 50 years of discussion, our country has finally succeeded in establishing the Malaysian Media Council, a self-regulatory body that brings together all types of media, including print, broadcast and digital,” he said at the Hawana 2025-Bernama Strategic Partners’ Appreciation Ceremony and Official Launch of Bernama-Motorhome at Wisma Bernama here yesterday.
Fahmi said with the setting up of the MMC and other initiatives, the government was laying a strong foundation for the future of the Malaysian media.
Themed “Journalism in the New Era: Embracing AI, Safeguarding Ethics”, Hawana 2025 will be held at WTC KL from June 13 to 15 with the highlight of the celebration to be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on June 14.
More than 1,000 media practitioners, representatives of local journalist associations and media representatives from Asean member countries have been invited to bring together the professional media fraternity and industry experts while exchanging ideas and forging strategic relationships.
Fahmi said the Bernama (Amendment) Act 2024 was gazetted on May 14 covering entities disseminating news via newspapers, publications, radio, TV and other mass communication platforms, including electronic and digital media.
“This amendment also aims to ensure Bernama’s structure and functions are in line with developments in information and communications technology, as well as meeting the needs of the increasingly complex media industry,” he said.
Meanwhile, May 29 has been gazetted as National Journalists’ Day in conjunction with the publication of the first edition of Utusan Melayu newspaper that day back in 1939.
At the event, Fahmi also launched the Bernama Motorhome-Mobile Studio, making it the first local media agency to utilise a recreational vehicle with mobile broadcast studio facilities that can be deployed to quickly disseminate news.
