KOTA KINABALU: The new leadership of the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) must carry out their duties responsibly and make the organisation a more sustainable self-regulatory body for the media industry, says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
The Communications Minister expressed confidence that if the MMC consolidates all views and channels them to the government, it will help ensure Malaysia's media industry becomes freer and more professional.
He also expressed gratitude that, after more than five decades, the MMC has finally been established, with its first annual general meeting held on Friday (Nov 7).
"So today, not only has the Malaysian Media Council Act 2025 been passed and come into force, but the team forming the first council has also been elected. I hope they will perform their duties well. Do your duty without fear or favour.
"We will ensure that the media in Malaysia becomes not only freer but also more professional, ethical, and sustainable, given the many challenges being faced, including the proliferation of social media," he said Saturday (Nov 8).
He made these remarks to reporters after attending the Hari Bersama Komuniti dan Temu Anak Muda programme at the National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI) in Kampung Kopimpinan, Putatan.
Also present was Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa.
MMC is an independent body established as a self-regulatory mechanism for the national media industry and plays a role in promoting journalism ethics and media freedom.
On Friday, 12 individuals were elected to the MMC Board at the council's inaugural AGM, representing three categories - media companies, journalists and media associations, as well as members of the public and non-governmental organisations.
In addition, Fahmi stated that the Communications Ministry would work to ensure that several matters, including those related to MMC's finances, are resolved promptly.
"Previously, there were some administrative aspects that were not finalised, but I was informed they are now close to completion. Hence, the allocated funds will be channelled to MMC soon," he said.
Earlier, Fahmi inspected the operation of a telecommunications tower in Kampung Keronggu, Inanam, to assess the effectiveness of Phase 1 of the National Digital Network Plan (Jendela) project in strengthening communications coverage in the area.
According to a statement by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the communications tower in the area now provides 4G coverage for CelcomDigi, Maxis, and U Mobile users, with an average speed of 90 Mbps through the use of Starlink while awaiting fibre optic connection implementation.
The initiative benefits over 500 residents and reflects significant improvement in Internet accessibility in Sabah, which now stands at 96.81% compared to 73.41% before the implementation of Jendela.
At the same time, service providers have been asked to increase capacity to ensure that coverage quality complies with MCMC standards.
