KUALA LUMPUR: Twelve individuals have been named as the founding board members of the Malaysian Media Council (MMC).
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the members consist of representatives from four different categories of the media industry.
The categories are media companies, media associations, media professionals and independent media practitioners, as well as non-media practitioners.
“After 50 years, we have finally passed the law in Parliament,” he said in his speech at the National Journalists Day (Hawana) 2025 celebration here yesterday.
The board members are MalaysiaKini co-founder and MMC pro-tem committee chairman Premesh Chandran, National Union of Journalists Malaysia general secretary Teh Athira Yusof, Astro Awani chief editor Ashwad Ismail and Gerakan Media Merdeka president Radzi Razak.
Also appointed are Borneo Post and Utusan Borneo general manager Wong Yang Yong, Daily Express chief editor Datuk Sardahthisa James, Journalists Association of Kuching Division Sarawak president Ronnie Teo Teck Wei and Malaysian Tamil Media Organisation president Muthameez Manan.
Other members of the MCC governing body are academics Mohd Azmyl Md Yusof, Gayathri S. Venkiteswaran, Celine Lim and Terence Ooi.
The Malaysian Media Council Bill 2024, which was passed in the Dewan Rakyat on Feb 26, will allow self-regulation within the local media industry.
On Friday, Fahmi signed the gazettement of MMC and it officially took effect from yesterday in conjunction with Hawana 2025 celebration.
Fahmi also announced the extension of social security protection to part-time and freelance journalists, or stringers.
He said this was in collaboration with the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO) under the Self-Employment Social Security Scheme.
“Last year, a total of 531 stringers benefited from the scheme.
“Similar benefits would be extended this year with an allocation of RM37,170,” he added.
He also announced that protection of media stringers would also be expanded under the Employees Provident Fund’s i-Saraan scheme.
He also announced that over 12,000 journalists would be able to enjoy one-off 50% discounts on AirAsia flights to over 50 destinations in Asean, in conjunction with Malaysia’s chairmanship.
Fahmi also revealed that AirAsia was keen to name one of its airplanes after a journalist with special livery to honour media practitioners.
