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New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
MMC to begin membership registration in August, AGM scheduled for November
PUTRAJAYA: Membership registration for the Malaysia Media Council (MMC) will open in early August and close at the end of September, with a nominal fee of RM10, according to the Council's Founding Board Members. In a statement issued today following the presentation of appointment letters to the members of the Founding Board by Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, MMC announced that applications can be submitted via its official website at "Membership is open to media owners, professionals, individuals and organisations involved in the media ecosystem, as well as those representing the public's interest," the statement read. The MMC also announced that its inaugural Annual General Meeting (AGM) is scheduled to take place on Nov 7 in Kuala Lumpur. At the AGM, new board members will be elected and key matters will be discussed, including the membership fee structure, the industry's code of ethics, complaints mechanism, annual budget and MMC's by-laws. At its first meeting, the Founding Board appointed Premesh Chandran as Interim Chairperson, pending the election of a full board later this year. As an independent self-regulatory body for Malaysia's media industry, the MMC is expected to play a pivotal role in promoting ethical and responsible journalism, establishing the industry code of ethics and serving as a bridge between the media, government and the public. "The MMC will enhance professionalism in the media industry and protect public interest within an increasingly complex media environment," MMC added. MMC said its structure is designed to ensure broad representation, with the Founding Board consisting of elected representatives from media publishers, media professionals and public interest groups, including academics and members of civil society. "Additionally, the government may appoint two representatives. Notably, the MMC Act 2025 stipulates that at least 25 per cent of board members must come from Sabah and Sarawak, and leadership of the Council must reflect gender parity — a first in Malaysia," it said. In the same statement, Founding Board member Phyllis Wong, of the Borneo Post and Utusan Borneo, said she felt honoured to be entrusted with the responsibility, and was encouraged by the shared commitment to uphold media ethics and accountability, despite MMC not yet being fully operational. "This marks the beginning of a unified voice for responsible journalism in Malaysia," she said. Fellow board member Ronnie Teo, of the Kuching Division Journalists Association, described the MMC as a long-awaited platform to bring together media professionals across Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. — BERNAMA
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Malaysian Media Council takes shape, membership to open in August
PETALING JAYA: The Communications Ministry has issued appointment letters to the 12 individuals who will comprise the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) Founding Board. The Founding Board members were divided into three categories: media owners, media professionals and public interest representatives. The four media owners are Phyllis Wong (Utusan Borneo), James Sarda (Sabah Publishing House), Premesh Chandran (Malaysiakini) and Ashwad Ismail (Astro Awani). The four media professionals are Teh Athira Yusof (National Union of Journalists), Radzi Razak (Gerakan Media Merdeka), Ronnie Teo (Kuching Division Journalists Association) and Muthameez Manan (Tamil Media Association) The four public interest representatives are Gayathry Venkiteswaran (University of Nottingham, Malaysia), Celine Lim (SAVE Rivers), Terence Ooi (Wiki Impact) and Azmyl Yunor (Sunway University). 'We recognise that the formation of the council is not a silver bullet,' said interim chairperson Premesh Chandran in a statement on Tuesday (July 15). 'Building a credible, effective council that protects media independence and supports the viability of the industry requires a large, active, and committed membership. We invite all stakeholders to take ownership of this institution.' The Founding Board stated that membership for the council would be available from early August and would close at the end of September. Applications can be submitted through the council's official website, for a small fee of RM10. Membership is available to media owners, professionals, and individuals or organisations involved in the media ecosystem that serve public interests. The council's first Annual General Meeting (AGM) was set for Nov 7, 2025, in Kuala Lumpur. During this meeting, a new board would be elected, and essential topics, such as establishing a formal membership structure, implementing a code of conduct and setting up a complaints mechanism, would be discussed. At least 25% of board members were from Sabah and Sarawak, ensuring inclusive national leadership. The MMC would function as an independent self-regulatory body for the media industry. Its key roles would include advocating for the highest standards in ethical and responsible journalism; creating a set of guidelines for the media industry; regulating members' ethics and professional conduct, including carrying out investigations and mediating complaints; facilitating communication among the media, government, and the public; advocating for legal changes that promote media independence; fostering the professional development of journalists and Maintaining a centralised database of information about the media sector.
The Star
15-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Debates continue over MMC's role
PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Media Council (MMC) has been formed and the Act governing it has come into effect, but the debates on its role as a regulator or protector of media continue. In a forum session titled 'Malaysian Media Council: Regulator or Media Protector?', held in conjunction with National Journalists Day (Hawana) 2025, panellists discussed how the newly-formed council will govern the local media landscape, the threats from technology and artificial intelligence and how newsrooms will have to evolve with it, among many issues. Premesh Chandran, chairman of the pro-tem committee of the MMC, said the council will not only serve as a regulator but will also be a key support system for agencies and practitioners, which also safeguards the industry. He said industry players should view the council's framework as a strategic collaboration. 'You need to look at media regulations as a form of strategic and regulatory collaboration because you have so many players,' he said. 'You can't look at the media council in isolation. What you have to look at is how is the regulatory collaboration going to happen across organisations, and that is the key challenge we face,' he added. Premesh noted that the MMC is a very young organisation, with its trust, strength and institutional capabilities having yet to be built. 'It has to be built by the industry and all those who want to build the council. 'It is not going to be a solution on Day 1, but it provides the regulatory room for us to innovate given the technology and other changes that are pushing the industry forward.' He said the council has to understand the trends and discuss with its regulatory partners on how to shape the media regulatory environment as a whole. Academic Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Murad Merican questioned why there was no provision of ethics in the Bill that was tabled. 'I'm quite disappointed with the Act because there's no provision for ethics because when it goes to Parliament, the code of conduct must be integral in the Act,' said the professor at International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation (ISTAC-IIUM). In response, Premesh said this was because the Attorney General Chambers had said during the process of drafting the Bill that ethical codes were a live document that needed change over time. Therefore, amending it would require it to be brought to Parliament. 'It's not something that should be set in law. 'Therefore, the conclusion was to include, in the Bill, the function of the council is to create standards and implement it,' he said. Meanwhile, The Star's senior news editor Datuk Philip Golingai questioned if organisations outside the purview of MMC would be regulated, as the mainstream media would be regulated. He said this in view of the proliferation of online news sources, some of which were not adhering to ethical reporting standards. 'What would happen to those who are not in the MMC? Do we regulate them as well?' he said. 'On safeguarding media freedom, I think that question is tricky. Yes, MMC is there but I don't think it can protect the media because there are political interferences on both sides, there are also litigation where we can get sued and we are not protected by the MMC. And then there is also harassment and things like that,' he said. Premesh said that to address the issue, there should be a form of incentive to encourage participation of media entities in the council and follow its stipulated news standard. 'For example, the government can commit and say that it will only advertise with the media organisation when it becomes a member of the council or even provides training opportunities,' he added. Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) Malaysia executive director Wathshlah Naidu said the MMC's roles go beyond becoming the guardian of the media landscape, but also as a catalyst for better journalism practice and standards. 'The role should also not be limited to defining ethical standards or code of conduct but also what message it will give to the public. 'Reaching out to the public will be a critical challenge while empowering the media and meeting technological demands,' she said. In a question-and-answer session later, Premesh said that the MMC is also looking into working with the Human Resources Development Corporation (HRDCorp) to provide training and development for journalists. 'The idea is to have a skills framework accredited by HRDCorp, so that journalists could undertake the necessary training and qualifications,' he said. Themed 'Journalism in the New Era: Embracing AI, Safeguarding Ethics', Hawana 2025 is organised by the Communications Ministry through Bernama as the implementing agency.
