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The Sun
06-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
New chapter for press freedom
AS Malaysia joined the annual global celebration of World Press Freedom Day by the United Nations on May 3, the nation stood at a pivotal moment for media freedom, ethical journalism and reform. This year's theme, 'Reporting in the Brave New World – The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media', resonates in a country where the struggle for press independence and ethical journalism has spanned generations, now reshaped by the disruptive power of artificial intelligence (AI). In February, the Malaysian Parliament passed the long-anticipated Malaysian Media Council (MMC) Bill. This landmark move comes 50 years after the idea was first proposed by Malaysia's second prime minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, in 1974. The bill's passing is seen as a historic moment for the local media landscape, marking decades of advocacy by journalists, media organisations and press freedom advocates. It promises a council that will protect press freedom, uphold ethical standards and provide an industry-led alternative to restrictive laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984. After multiple attempts, shifting political landscapes and recurring debates on the council's structure and independence, the MMC Bill was finally passed this year. Challenges of AI in journalism As Malaysia celebrates this legislative breakthrough, it faces new challenges, such as the integration of AI in journalism. AI is rapidly transforming Malaysia's media landscape, offering opportunities and challenges for press freedom and journalistic integrity – issues that the council should prioritise. AI technologies are now embedded in newsrooms, powering automated news writing, AI-generated news anchors, real-time transcription, personalised content delivery and multilingual capabilities. These innovations promise greater newsroom efficiency and powerful tools for combating misinformation. However, the rapid adoption of AI also introduces complex challenges such as job displacement, algorithmic bias, data privacy and intellectual property rights. Additionally, concerns over AI 'hallucinations' – where generative AI produces plausible-sounding but misleading information – are growing. Ironically, while AI has shown promise in addressing misinformation, it risks undermining trust if not governed responsibly. This dual-edged nature of AI underscores the urgent need for robust ethical guidelines and regulatory oversight – an area where the council must lead decisively. A stark reminder of these risks came just days before the MMC Bill was passed. A popular social media platform's AI moderation system mistakenly blocked the accounts of several Malaysian news organisations after they reported on a high-profile sexual assault case. The AI flagged the content as violating community standards and failed to distinguish between responsible journalism and harmful material, resulting in legitimate news outlets being deplatformed. This incident raised significant concerns within the media sector. It highlighted the challenge of AI moderation, where automated systems struggle to differentiate between responsible media reporting and other types of content. There is a need for platforms to refine their moderation mechanisms and consider a differentiated status for verified media organisations to ensure fair treatment on digital platforms. This episode highlights a crucial issue that while AI is tasked with content moderation without adequate human oversight, press freedom can become collateral damage. As social media platforms increasingly rely on AI, the risk grows that algorithms – rather than editors or journalists – will determine which news reaches the public, raising questions about transparency, accountability and freedom of expression. Towards responsible AI integration In Malaysia's digital-first media environment, where social media platforms serve both as news sources and misinformation vectors, responsible AI integration is more urgent than ever. Initiatives aimed at tackling misinformation and collaborations between the government and tech companies are important but enforcement remains inconsistent. The vision for the MMC Bill, focused on setting high standards and governance, must now include clear frameworks for AI use in journalism, ensuring it supports rather than undermines press freedom. On this World Press Freedom Day, Malaysia celebrated a milestone that honours its long-standing struggle for independent journalism. With the establishment of the MMC Bill and the growing focus on responsible AI integration, the nation moves towards a future where the press is both free and forward-thinking – informing, challenging and inspiring in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world. Philip Gan Chee Keat is programme director of the Bachelor of Mass Communication (Honours) and lecturer at the School of Media and Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management at Taylor's University. Comments: letters@
Malay Mail
03-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
A new chapter for Malaysia's press freedom in the age of artificial intelligence — Philip Gan Chee Keat
MAY 3 — As Malaysia joins the United Nations in marking World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the nation finds itself at a pivotal juncture for media freedom, ethical journalism, and long-awaited reform. This year's theme, 'Reporting in the Brave New World – The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media,' resonates deeply in a country where the fight for independent journalism has spanned decades — now facing disruption from the rise of artificial intelligence (AI). In February 2025, the Malaysian Parliament passed the long-anticipated Malaysian Media Council (MMC) Bill, a landmark move 50 years in the making. First proposed in 1974 by Malaysia's second prime minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the idea of an independent media council has been a persistent demand from journalists, media organisations, and press freedom advocates alike. Its passing marks a historic milestone for Malaysia's media landscape. The MMC promises to uphold ethical standards, protect press freedom, and offer an industry-led alternative to restrictive laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984. After decades of political shifts and debates over the council's structure and independence, this legislative breakthrough finally offers a new foundation for media reform. The challenges of AI in journalism Even as Malaysia celebrates this progress, new challenges are emerging. AI is transforming newsrooms across the country — enabling automated reporting, real-time transcription, personalised content delivery, multilingual outputs, and even AI-generated news anchors. These innovations offer significant benefits, from greater efficiency to powerful tools against misinformation. But the rapid adoption of AI also brings risks: job displacement, algorithmic bias, data privacy concerns, intellectual property issues, and perhaps most worryingly, AI 'hallucinations' — where generative tools produce convincing but misleading content. While AI may help combat misinformation, it also threatens to erode public trust if left unchecked. This dual-edged nature underscores the urgent need for strong ethical frameworks and regulatory oversight — areas where the new media council must take the lead. Just days before the MMC Bill was passed, a high-profile incident illustrated this risk. A popular social media platform's AI moderation system mistakenly deactivated several Malaysian news outlets after they reported on a sexual assault case. The AI wrongly flagged the content as harmful, failing to distinguish between responsible journalism and inappropriate material — resulting in the temporary deplatforming of legitimate news organisations. This incident triggered widespread concern across the media sector. It highlighted how automated moderation systems, lacking human oversight, can jeopardise press freedom. There is an urgent need for platforms to refine their algorithms and establish differentiated treatment for verified media outlets to ensure fair and accurate content moderation. Towards responsible AI integration In Malaysia's digital-first media ecosystem — where social platforms double as both information sources and misinformation vectors — the responsible use of AI is more crucial than ever. While partnerships between government and tech companies to tackle misinformation are growing, enforcement remains patchy. As the MMC begins its journey, its vision must evolve to include clear guidelines for the ethical and transparent use of AI in journalism. AI should enhance, not hinder, the press's ability to serve the public with credible, independent information. This World Press Freedom Day, Malaysia celebrates a hard-won step forward. With the establishment of the MMC and a renewed focus on navigating AI's impact, the nation now moves toward a future where the press is not only free, but future-ready — informing, challenging, and inspiring the public in an increasingly digital, AI-driven age. * Philip Gan Chee Keat is Programme Director of the Bachelor of Mass Communication (Honours) and a Lecturer at the School of Media and Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences & Leisure Management at Taylor's University. ** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
Business Times
30-04-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Business council chief flags urgent need for S-E Asia to deepen integration amid rising protectionism
[KUALA LUMPUR] The chairman of the Asean Business Advisory Council (Asean-BAC) Malaysia has called on South-east Asia to overcome the region's fragmented regulations and deepen regional integration to unlock the full potential of its market of nearly 700 million people. Nazir Razak warned that delaying this push risks the region being left behind amid rising global protectionism. Despite having made progress in reducing tariffs, he said that South-east Asia still faces significant non-tariff barriers and an uneven enforcement of trade rules, which have hindered efforts to build a seamless regional market. Latest available data points to intra-Asean trade accounting for less than a quarter of the bloc's total trade currently. It is a figure that he believes can be doubled if reforms are implemented. Speaking to The Business Times in an interview in Kuala Lumpur, he said regulations need to be harmonised, tariffs need to be lowered, and it has to be made easier to move skilled talent across borders. 'When others are building high walls, Asean should widen its negotiation table. If we cannot turbocharge integration now, we risk missing a major opportunity,' said the 58-year-old veteran banker. He was formerly chairman and group chief executive officer of CIMB Group, spending 29 years in total at Malaysia's second-largest bank by assets. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up He was also on the investment panel of the Employees Provident Fund and the board of Malaysia's sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional Malaysia, and hails from a family of politicians: He is the son of Malaysia's second prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein, and the younger brother of former premier Najib Razak. Greater flexibility for businesses needed The Asean-BAC, set up in 2001 and inaugurated two years later, has a primary mission to promote public-private sector partnership to achieve the integration of an Asean Economic Community. He told BT that efforts to facilitate the free movement of people and operations for multinational firms within South-east Asia have largely stagnated. He urged the region's governments to move beyond the idea of 'full reciprocity', which demands exact matching of regulations between countries. Instead, he advocates greater flexibility for businesses, even in the absence of complete mutual recognition. One way of doing this, he suggested, could be by expanding the Asean Business Entity framework, under which companies can move people and operations freely across the region, whether full regulatory harmonisation has occurred. 'If we can allow more flexibility at the company level – for instance, if CIMB can move (its employees) freely within its Asean network, or even allow the bank to outsource operations to countries in Asean – it will create an economy of scale,' he said. Johor-Singapore SEZ as a learning model The upcoming Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone is backed by political commitment from both Malaysia and Singapore, and supported by cross-border projects such as the Rapid Transit System Link. PHOTO: BT FILE Nazir cited the upcoming Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) as a model for closer cooperation. The zone is backed by political commitment from both Malaysia and Singapore, and supported by cross-border projects such as the Rapid Transit System Link. He suggested that companies operating in the economic zone be regulated by their home country authorities – with Singapore's Monetary Authority of Singapore overseeing Singaporean companies in Johor, for instance – to reduce potential cross-border friction. 'This could be a model for the region – two countries leveraging each other's strengths to drive growth and investment. A similar framework could be expanded to other Asean markets as well,' he said. Asean IPO prospectus Beyond traditional trade and investment, Asean-BAC has laid out 12 initiatives, including a regional capital market framework, a common carbon framework and digital trade platforms to boost intra-Asean economic activity. One key project, the Asean initial public offering prospectus, is close to launch. Under this initiative, companies could list in their home markets while raising funds from retail investors across Asean countries through a unified framework. Nazir said that Malaysia's Securities Commission is working with its counterparts in Thailand and Singapore, and that such cross-border fundraising drives could start as early as next year. 'With the current level of harmonisation, it shouldn't be difficult to top up disclosure requirements between markets like Malaysia and Singapore,' he said. Digitalisation of private-sector cross-border trade procedures is also a priority for the Asean-BAC; Malaysia is developing a new digital trade platform intended to link with other Asean systems. Renewable energy is the future Asean member states must continue to collaborate in joint projects and economic sectors to enhance the region's collective power, he stressed. 'Clean energy, particularly renewable energy, is one such area,' he said, and cited the Asean Power Grid as a strong example amid rising global demand for clean energy. The Asean Power Grid is a programme to interconnect the electricity grids of all 10 Asean member states by 2045. It aims to enhance energy security by enabling cross-border power sharing, especially from renewable sources such as hydro, solar and wind. Nazir noted that this initiative is crucial for maximising the use of South-east Asia's diverse clean-energy potential, which would ensure a stable and affordable electricity supply for its growing population.
