THE Malaysian Media Council (MMC) will serve as a key pillar in ensuring that media practitioners across the country consistently uphold ethical, responsible and professional standards, says Teo Nie Ching.
The Deputy Communications Minister congratulated the MMC for holding its first Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Nov 7 and electing its board members, comprising local media industry players, notably achieving 50% women among the appointed members.
“During this AGM, the Code of Conduct and Complaint Mechanism were also approved with amendments, marking an important step towards building a stronger, ethical, professional media ecosystem that is trusted by the public,” she said in reply to a question from Datuk Seri Hasni Mohamad (BN-Simpang Renggam) during Question Time at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Hasni had asked the ministry to outline the measures that have been implemented or will be introduced to protect the government’s image, amid claims that it is unable to manage the media’s portrayal of leaders and the government in a negative light.
Teo said the MMC adheres to the principle of “of the media, by the media, for the media”, serving not only as a monitor of journalistic ethics but also providing mechanisms to resolve complaints against the media to protect society and build a responsible media ecosystem.
“The disciplinary action mechanism established under the Malaysian Media Council Act allows the Council to take action against members who violate provisions outlined in the Act, including the code of conduct, guidelines, directives or circulars issued by the Council or Board,” she said.
According to Teo, the council comprises three main categories: media companies fall under category A, which includes media organisations; media practitioners and independent media practitioners fall under category B; and the public, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), falls under category C.
On Nov 7, a total of 12 individuals were elected to the MMC board at its inaugural annual general meeting (AGM).
The individuals appointed in the media company category are former interim chairman of the MMC C. Premesh; Star Media Group chief content officer Datin Paduka Esther Ng Sek Yee; New Straits Times group editor Farrah Naz Abd Karim; and The Borneo Post and Utusan Borneo general manager Wong Yang Yong.
The Malaysian Media Council Bill 2024 was passed in the Dewan Rakyat on Feb 26 of this year.
