PUTRAJAYA: The government has agreed in principle to review the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improvement and enhancement, says Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
Towards this end, Fahmi, who is also the unity government spokesman, said his ministry would hold meetings and engage stakeholders to review aspects that could be enhanced in the act.
"This is a continuation of the policy decided around August 2022... issues involving Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, for example, many Members of Parliament have strong views, but at the same time, there are views on whether this act is strong enough or not," he said at a press conference after the Cabinet meeting here on Friday (March 8).
He said certain matters such as fines or penalties in the act have long existed and need to be re-examined.
"There are several factors we will look at, one of them is the value of fines in the context if I mention compliance with standards, for example, the value (fine) at this time is a value based on the value of the ringgit in 1998 and the size of the economy at that time.
"If we compare, whether the value is appropriate and beneficial to the current situation and if there are changes in that value, it is at a rate and value commensurate with the economic situation," he said.
Meanwhile, when asked whether the details of the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH730 were discussed at the Cabinet meeting today, Fahmi said the matter had not been brought up for discussion at this meeting.
"That information has not yet been brought for discussion in the Cabinet but I believe in the coming week, the report will be presented. The report from Transport Minister Anthony Loke," he said.
The Transport Ministry had previously assured that it would do everything possible to obtain Cabinet approval to sign a new contract with Ocean Infinity to resume the search for the Malaysia Airlines MH730 aircraft that went missing 10 years ago.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Malaysia was ready to reopen the investigation into the incident of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 a decade ago if there was new and solid evidence.
On March 8, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 carrying 239 people departed from Kuala Lumpur International Airport for Beijing, but disappeared from the radar screens about two hours after takeoff.
Subsequently, large-scale search operations involving several countries were conducted in the southern Indian Ocean, but the aircraft or its wreckage was not found.- Bernama
