BUTTERWORTH: Newly-appointed Malaysian Media Council (MMC) chairman Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan believes her decades of experience in the judiciary will help the council build credibility, safeguard its independence and earn public trust.
Although acknowledging that she did not possess a journalistic background or experience, the former Federal Court judge said her years on the Bench had equipped her with the skills needed to safeguard the council’s independence, ensure fair processes and uphold public confidence in its decisions.
“The principal thing I can bring to this table is fairness between parties to whom one owes no allegiance, decided on the evidence and explained openly with reasons,” she said at a media dialogue session with Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil yesterday.
Nallini said the MMC specifically requires its chairperson to be independent of politics, the civil service and the legislature, reflecting the need for a neutral figure capable of earning the trust of all stakeholders.
She added that while editors and journalists remained the experts in reporting and newsroom operations, the council’s role was to strengthen the media ecosystem through credible standards, effective complaints mechanisms and fair dispute resolution.
Looking ahead, Nallini said one of her key priorities was ensuring that the council’s foundational structures are built on the principles of fairness and accountability.
“My second concern is the principles that should run through all of it. A free media must also be a responsible one, and a responsible media must, in turn, be protected from pressure, harassment, misuse of its name and manipulation.
“Freedom and responsibility are not opposites here. They are two halves of the same trust,” she added, as reported by Bernama.
Nallini said the council had identified three immediate priorities: establishing a complaints and adjudication framework, expanding membership, and addressing fake news and the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI).
She also said the council’s complaints mechanism must never become a tool for silencing journalists.
“The council will uphold standards, but it will be vigilant in ensuring that the upholding of standards is not turned into a means of discouraging the very journalism a democracy most needs,” she said.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed confidence that Nallini’s appointment as chairman of the MMC would enhance the council’s image and strengthen public confidence in the body.
He said her appointment was made after careful consideration, taking into account her distinguished judicial background, track record and integrity.
“What is important is that she possesses impeccable credentials and will help provide a new image and confidence for the council.
“We join others in wishing her success,” he said when officiating the National Journalists’ Day (Hawana) 2026 celebrations yesterday.
