KUALA LUMPUR: A draft proposal on the establishment of a media council is being reviewed before it is presented to Cabinet, says the Communication and Digital Minister
Fahmi Fadzil said his deputy Teo Nie Ching was looking into the matter to ensure the views of all stakeholders were given consideration.
"There are some concerns that need to be ironed out apart from ensuring the welfare of media practitioners.
"There are some quarters who opine that the council needs to be independent of government's influence and this needs looking into," he said on Saturday (Feb 18).
Last year, Teo reportedly said the setting up of a media council would be given priority under the Unity Government.
This was after an earlier announcement by Fahmi who said the ministry would seek the views from players in the media industry on the issue.
The minister was met at the Pantai Eco Park Community Centre in Lembah Pantai after the Jelajah Saya Digital event by the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC).
Accompanying him were the ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohammad Mentek and MDEC chief executive officer Mahadhir Aziz.
On a related matter, Fahmi said the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commissioner (MCMC) would call up those involved in the publication of a recent video claiming the government was planning to cut down on the number of civil servants.
"I have been in contact with MCMC and was made to understand that they have looked (into the allegation made in the video).
"I am awaiting the result of the investigation and will leave the matter to the authorities to take further action," he added.
Earlier, a video claiming the government was reducing the number of civil servants made the rounds, and Fahmi had denied the claim in a tweet.
"The government strongly denied such claims and called on Awesome TV which published Berita 757 to explain itself," he wrote.
Fahmi, who was also Lembah Pantai MP, called on media practitioners to exercise their role responsibly and to steer clear of fake news.
"While we respect the freedom of the press, it must not be misused to spread slander and unfounded allegations.
"Any content published must be in compliance with the law and does not threaten the harmony among Malaysians," he said.
