Press Freedom Index: Gov't safeguards media interests in AI era
He said that currently, media practitioners are dealing with various urgent challenges, including employment issues, welfare concerns and the rise of AI, which raises fears over whether it could replace the role of journalists.
'In this regard, the World Press Freedom Index 2025 report released by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) presents an opportunity for the government to enhance efforts to defend the interests of media practitioners,' he told reporters after attending the Universiti Malaya Public Health Campaign: Diabetes Is Not a Barrier here today.
Malaysia improved its standing in the World Press Freedom Index 2025 by climbing 19 spots to 88th place, the second highest in ASEAN behind Thailand, which ranks 85th.
Fahmi, who is also the Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai, said several government efforts, including the drafting of legislation for the Malaysian Media Council, have contributed to the positive outcome in the country's ranking.
'We hope that by National Journalists Day, the council or its founding board can be formed. This would be a positive and significant step forward,' he said.
Fahmi also expressed his readiness to meet with representatives from media groups such as journalist clubs, the National Union of Journalists Malaysia (NUJ) and the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) to discuss guidelines on AI use in journalism.
'We certainly need guidelines. We need understanding so we can harness AI's potential and not fall victim to false news, inaccurate information, or the misuse of AI, especially in the media industry.
'I am ready to meet and will try to make time this week to at least gather initial input from NUJ,' he said.
Commenting on the 3R (race, religion, royalty) issue raised by RSF in the report, Fahmi stressed the importance of balancing freedom of expression with adherence to existing laws.
'We cannot allow misinformation, including content that touches on 3R issues and disrupts public order, to spread unchecked. Malaysians, including media colleagues, have the right to speak and report, but existing laws still apply,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
an hour ago
- The Star
Asean News Headlines at 10pm on Tuesday (Aug 12, 2025)
Malaysia * Govt mulling specific laws to tackle AI legal challenges, says Azalina * Pontian cops nab 14 allegedly involved in gang fight * LHDN launches 'Ops Titan' to prevent tax non-compliance * Construction projects under 13MP will leverage modern technology, says Amir Hamzah * DPP reviewing upside-down flag investigation paper, Putrajaya to issue further instructions * Ministry vows full cooperation, no protection in probe * Bullying, even online, is now a crime, says Azalina * Every injury on body checked * Police still investigating Ling's disappearance * No single tax agency for now, says PM * Keep politics off the flagpole, says Dr Wee in slamming Umno Youth chief's remarks on flag incident * High-profile graft probes ongoing but details are restricted, Azalina tells Dewan Rakyat * Cries of 'Justice for Zara Qairina' will continue until there are answers, says Sindumin rep * Multi-agency committee set up to probe Palapes cadet's death in Johor, says Zambry * Cops recover RM2mil worth of stolen casino chips * 31 bullying cases reported at eight public unis from 2014 to 2025, Dewan Rakyat told * Malaysia steps up efforts to reduce roadkill, protect wildlife * DAP planning peaceful response to uproar over flag incident, says Loke * Perikatan leaders raise concerns over NFA status for several harassment cases * Protesters march on Parliament, hand over memo seeking justice for Zara Qairina * 'Ah long' resurface to haunt family of deceased debtor * Amp up efforts to protect Sabah's critically endangered banteng, says Liew * Ex-accountant for early childhood education company faces money laundering charges * T'ganu cops seize nearly 200kg of meth worth RM6.3mil * Project manager claims trial to 68 money laundering charges involving over RM688,000 * Melaka technician claims trial to 52 charges including raping, sexually assaulting daughter * Drop 'Bahasa Putrajaya', use simple terms, Chief Secretary tells civil servants * Takiyuddin, Rayer clash in Parliament over Indian community housing budget * Remand extended for doctor's wife, sons over drug and firearm seizure * New judge expected to preside over podcast host's defamation suit against Caprice * Bentong chopper crash preliminary report flags hot refuelling safety breaches * LPG subsidies to continue for small food businesses, says Armizan * We want strong ties with Federal Govt, says Sabah CM on maintaing GRS-Pakatan pact * Fish, squid, prawns, in PD waters safe for consumption, says Negri Fisheries Dept * Govt must act firmly when civil servants make flag errors too, says PN lawmaker * Sabah MACC arrests two businessmen for allegedly submitting RM3.6mil in false claims * Foreign beggars nabbed at KLIA for abusing entry passes * Man dies after being stabbed in front of his family home in Seremban * Sony Music unveils new singer Nazu, who brews up a fresh flavour with debut single 'Kopi' Singapore * Singapore raises 2025 growth forecast but warns of global risks * Singapore conducts second airdrop ops to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza * Goh Cheng Liang, Nippon Paint billionaire and richest Singaporean, dies aged 98 * Decade-old scheme: Company director charged with cheating 3 Singaporeans, Malaysian * Jail for Singapore ex-teacher who tried to engage in sexual acts with three teen girls * Super Rich In Korea series' David Yong gets court nod to travel abroad again for business * Luxury items seized in S$3bil money laundering case in Singapore handed over to Deloitte for liquidation * Man on trial for stalking woman blasted by judge for asking scandalous questions in Singapore court * Man who stabbed son-in-law to death in Singapore's Boon Tat Street in 2017 dies of heart attack, says daughter * Jail for woman who forged medical documents in bid to quickly withdraw her CPF funds in Singapore * Power switchboard failure led to disruption in Singapore's North East Line, Sengkang-Punggol LRT services: SBS Transit Indonesia * Possible artefacts of oldest known Wallacean hominids surface * Prabowo's state farms chief quits, citing Danantara as hurdle * Malaysian students win over 20 prizes at Indonesia's Bandung International Dance competition * Indonesian rising star Fajar is the latest to join superstar Bunga Citra Lestari's starry KL concert on Sept 27 Thailand * Chinese investment fuels Thailand's ambition as global export gateway: Thai official * Paetongtarn sidesteps resignation rumours ahead of Constitutional Court ruling on Hun Sen clip * Thai army threatens retaliation against Cambodia over landmine blast that injured soldier * Thai assaults on Malaysian tourists, hurting tourism confidence * Thailand says another soldier injured by landmine near Cambodia * Thailand protests Cambodia's use of anti-personnel mines, citing ceasefire breach and Ottawa Convention violations Philippines * Stranded whale rescued along Philippine coastline in Agusan del Norte Vietnam * Vietnam's richest man shifts strategy after US$14bil bet on EVs * PM orders Vietnam's coastal roads be finished three months early to boost growth and connectivity Myanmar * 'No elections on our turf' * Myanmar holds State funeral for late acting President U Myint Swe * Myanmar security forces involved in systematic torture, UN report says * Myanmar region sees 'dramatic' hunger rise after aid cutbacks Cambodia * Cambodian migrant workers face an uncertain future as Thai border conflict drives them home Laos * Laos upskills durian farmers for global market access Brunei * Classic car enthusiasts unite in Kelantan Aseanplus * AI will bridge development divides across Asean, says Anwar * European leaders to meet virtually on Ukraine before call with Trump * Exclusive-Paxos joins spate of crypto companies applying for US trust bank licenses * Blackout hits central, southern Iraq, sources say * Pledging to deepen ties * Torrential rains batter Kyushu * Dengue deaths cross 100 mark as outbreak threat worsens * N. Korea ready to act over US-S. Korea drills * Fake police arrested for running 'crime bureau' * Big ride on a small bike: Riding 3,300km from Subang to Bangkok on a Yamaha cub * Action star Jet Li says he gets trolled for becoming Singapore citizen * Ringgit up against US dollar, major currencies ahead 2Q GDP announcement * FBM KLCI extends uptrend on relief over 90-day US-China tariff truce * Series of bomb scares in South Korea raises security concerns * Malaysian launches book on 35,000km cycling journey across Asia * Bangladesh chief adviser Dr Muhammad Yunus accorded official welcome at Perdana Putra * Trump holds high-stakes meeting with Malaysia-born Intel CEO after calling for his resignation * South Korea court to rule on bid to arrest former first lady * Australia PM says Netanyahu 'in denial' over suffering in Gaza * Trump's trade war with China in 2025 * Most markets rise as China-US truce extended, inflation in focus * Malaysia's 2Q GDP growth projected at 4.3% on sector gains, says HLIB * Malaysia, Bangladesh ink eight MOUs to boost bilateral ties, defence cooperation * Xi says China, Brazil can model 'self-reliance' for Global South * Selective buying lifts KLCI despite market caution * Anwar Ibrahim hosts luncheon for visiting Bangladesh chief adviser * Securing peace in Myanmar, addressing refugee crisis a priority for M'sia, says Anwar * Taiwan to evacuate hundreds as Typhoon Podul barrels towards southeast * Malaysia to develop digital trust and data security strategy, establish data commission * Australia's central bank cuts rates to two-year low of 3.60% * Gen Z's craze for guzi turning into sizzling biz * Taylor Swift announces new album called 'The Life of a Showgirl' * New Zealand politician removed from parliament following comments in Palestinian debate * Japan boxing to adopt stricter safety rules after deaths of two fighters * HK actor Benjamin Yeung dies at 43 * Italian athlete dies at World Games in China * Games-'Strong candidate' India upbeat about 2030 Commonwealth Games after delegation visit * Young Indonesian pair Jafar-Felisha capable of going the distance in Paris * Families mark 40 years since deadly Japan Airlines crash with hike up mountain site * 15-year-old school student gangraped by five on Raksha Bandhan day in Odisha, India * Melaka JPJ cracks down on unlicensed foreign drivers * HK actress Ada Choi's husband Max Zhang reveals he nearly died during a family trip in April * Three Hong Kong hikers, including boy, rushed to hospital after bee attack * Thai teen Kritchanya aces her way to a five-shot lead at Maybank Championship Asean Qualifier; Malaysian Zulaikah in second place * Hongkonger held for 'placing Coca-Cola, 7-Up bottles mixed with urine in shops' * In China's factory heartland, warehouses weather Trump tariffs * Militants kill nine Pakistani soldiers in Balochistan: govt officials * Voice of doubt in Nvidia's H20 chips grows louder in China * HK star Law Kar-ying says he has planned for life after death, bought a property for wife Liza Wang: 'I predict that I'll go before her' * US tariffs could hit Samsung phones, exempt China-made iPhones * Do Kwon to plead guilty to US conspiracy, fraud charges in $40 billion crypto collapse
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Voice of doubt in Nvidia's H20 chips grows louder in China
US chip giant Nvidia faces increasing mistrust in China over its H20 chips, after the company secured a licence from Washington to export the tailor-made processors by agreeing to pay 15 per cent of its revenues to the US government. On Sunday, a Chinese state media outlet labelled Nvidia's H20 chip as unsafe and urged Chinese buyers to boycott the artificial intelligence processors designed for the Chinese market. Despite Nvidia's repeated denials of 'back-door' vulnerabilities, Yuyuan Tantian, associated with state broadcaster China Central Television, said the H20 chip could not be trusted because of the US government's alleged efforts to embed 'back doors' in the chips. 'When a chip is neither environmentally friendly nor advanced or safe, as consumers, we certainly have the option not to buy it,' the outlet said in a commentary. It suggested that the H20 chip could be remotely controlled through hardware and software exploits, citing Washington's attempts in 1992 to implement surveillance via chip back doors and a recent bill proposed in May requiring US chipmakers to incorporate tracking features. Nvidia's chief security officer David Reber Jnr published a blog post last week titled: 'There are no back doors in Nvidia chips. No kill switches. No spyware.' Chinese state media's allegations come as the US Department of Commerce has begun issuing licences to Nvidia for exporting H20 chips to China. Nvidia and rival Advanced Micro Devices agreed to pay the US government 15 per cent of their revenues from chip sales to China as part of a deal with the Trump administration to secure export licences, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Yuyuan Tantian's article reflects Nvidia's struggle to establish trust in China, which accounted for 13 per cent of its revenues in the last financial year despite escalating technology rivalry between Beijing and Washington. Last month, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) summoned Nvidia for discussions about the risks associated with potential tracking and remote control functions of its H20 chips. In an opinion piece titled 'How can we trust you, Nvidia?' earlier this month, the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, called on the US chipmaker to provide proof of its security measures to regain the trust of Chinese customers. In response, Nvidia said it 'does not have 'back doors' in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them'. The H20, an AI graphics processing unit released by Nvidia last year specifically for China to comply with US export restrictions, has become a focal point in the tech war between the two countries after Washington lifted a sales ban on the chip last month. While the resumption of H20 sales is expected to provide a near-term boost to China's AI development, Nvidia faces challenges amid Beijing's scrutiny and a push from domestic firms to adopt home-grown processors, such as those developed by Huawei Technologies. The CAC's review served partly 'as a reminder to domestic firms to avoid over-reliance on a single chip and to always be prepared to use alternatives', Chinese semiconductor research firm ICwise said in a note last week, which has since been deleted. The firm also said that China's interest in the H20 chip was likely to 'continue to wane' as the country's chip sector advanced. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Govt mulling specific laws to tackle AI legal challenges, says Azalina
KUALA LUMPUR: The government will examine the need for specific laws on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in light of emerging legal challenges. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said ( pic ) said the current legal system needs to be upgraded, as AI-related laws require different approaches, including burden of proof, authenticity and document integrity. "Right now, whatever you say, every document is online, and because it's online you can fabricate any content," she told a press conference after launching the Malaysia National Action Plan on Business and Human Rights (NAPBHR) 2025-2030 at the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) here on Tuesday (Aug 12). She said courts must be confident in accepting AI-based evidence, as the technology can produce visuals or audio resembling individuals, but do not exist in reality, adding that the matter requires serious consideration to protect the public from fraud or manipulation. Commenting on the progress of the Political Funding Bill, she said it is still in process and subject to the agreement of political parties. "We have three Parliament sessions in a year… it (bill) is still in process," she said. On the issue of employers retaining workers' passports, Azalina stressed that such action is prohibited under Malaysian law. "You have to be fair to your workers and return the passport," she said, emphasising that Malaysia respects the human rights of all workers, including foreign workers from ASEAN countries, and must not act aggressively or unlawfully against them. Earlier in her keynote address, Azalina said the launch of the NAPBHR 2025-2030 marked Malaysia's first national framework to integrate human rights into business and corporate governance. She said the plan reflected Malaysia's commitment to the United Nations Guiding Principles as the country assumes the Asean Chairmanship. "The success of this plan demands more than government effort; it requires shared ownership," she said. The NAPBHR focuses on labour, environment and governance, and was developed through consultations since 2019 with ministries, agencies, civil society, business leaders, Indigenous communities, unions and academics. - Bernama
