KUALA LUMPUR: The Communications Ministry has sent a draft of the Malaysian Media Council Bill to the pro-tem committee to finalise the founding members line-up, says Teo Nie Ching.
The Deputy Communications Minister said the three categories of founding members were media organisations; media-related non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and media practitioners; as well as academics, which includes individuals who play an active role.
"Based on the list I received from the pro-tem committee chairman on July 22, we have 15 media companies, seven media associates, nine media practitioners and seven non-media members so far.
"So anyone interested in joining the Malaysian Media Council as a founding member can contact the pro-tem committee or me. They can look at the draft Bill and if they agree with it, they can join as a founding member," she said at a press conference after engaging with Tamil Malar employees in a visit to the Tamil Malar newspaper headquarters here on Tuesday (July 30).
Teo said that once this process is completed, the draft Bill will be presented to the Cabinet and the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) for approval.
"But of course, we can't take forever to wait for everyone to get endorsed. If all goes well, we hope to bring this Bill to Parliament in the upcoming session," she said.
The establishment of the Malaysian Media Council aims to develop and implement a code of ethics for reporting that can enhance the journalism profession and ensure responsible news reporting by the media.
It also functions to encourage communication between media practitioners, the government, and the public, besides supporting the professional development of journalists and media organisations.
Also present during today's visit were Deputy National Unity Minister K. Saraswathy and Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran.
On the programme, Teo said it was a courtesy visit to Tamil Malar to build stronger relationships between Tamil media and the ministry.
"Our intention is to visit one media organisation after another to establish a relationship where they understand that we are very approachable. If they face any problems, we are ready to assist," she said.
Earlier, Teo and Kulasegaran spent time mingling with Tamil Malar staff and distributing Jalur Gemilang flags in conjunction with the National Month celebrations. – Bernama
