THE LONG-AWAITED Malaysia Media Council (MMC) remains a distant dream as the draft Bill continues to be stuck at the ministry level two years after it was submitted.
This was reaffirmed through a written reply in Parliament from Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa to one of his predecessors, Gobind Singh Deo.
Annuar said his ministry had set up a task force to study the draft Bill of the council, written by the MMC pro tem committee and submitted to his ministry in July 2020.
“After carrying out a number of discussions, the task force identified numerous matters (in the draft Bill) that involved the authority of other ministries,” Annuar said yesterday.
“Accordingly, this ministry will hold engagement sessions with stakeholders to get further feedback on the Bill’s recommendations before it can be finalised.”
Annuar did not reveal when the task force was set up or when these sessions would be held.
The Ketereh MP said the matter required further consideration to ensure that the MMC – if it ever sees the light of day – complements existing laws in the country.
“In addition, the impact of its implementation needs to take into account the preservation of national sovereignty, security and harmony, in accordance with the current scenario.”
An independent body
Stakeholders have long called for the creation of a transparent and independent self-regulatory body for the local media industry, and a law to protect its interests.In January 2020, a 17-member pro tem committee – representing various stakeholders, including media owners, journalist unions, advocacy groups and independent journalists – was set up by Gobind when he was minister, to draft a Bill for the MMC.
The draft Bill, as well as a report by the group about their work, was submitted to Gobind’s successor, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, in July 2020 after the Perikatan Nasional government took over.
The report argues that the MMC is the best way to regulate the fast-changing media landscape in Malaysia and reconcile regulations covering print, broadcast and online media, while still safeguarding media freedom.
The report also provided a draft code of conduct for the media industry, a dispute resolution procedure for public complaints against the media and an approximate budget for the MMC.
The report and draft MMC Bill are available for public review at mediacouncil.my (English version) and majlismedia.my (Malay version).
Internet law abuses
Meanwhile, in a separate reply to Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, Annuar said that a total of 692 investigation papers were opened from 2020 to June 2022 under the Communication and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998 and related “subsidiary” laws.
“During that period, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) prosecuted 87 cases in court, while 367 other cases were compounded,” he said.
Section 233 of the CMA, an internet law that criminalises “obscene and offensive” online content, is often criticised by rights groups for its vague definitions, arbitrary applications and for infringing on freedom of expression.
The section provides for one-year jail time and a maximum RM50,000 fine for guilty offenders. – July 21, 2022
