Malaysian Media Council welcomes the government’s move to refer the Freedom of Information Bill 2026 to a parliamentary select committee for scrutiny.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Media Council (MMC) has welcomed the government’s decision to refer the Freedom of Information Bill 2026 to a Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) following its first reading in the Dewan Rakyat.
In a statement yesterday (July 13), the council said the referral under Standing Order 81(1) of the Dewan Rakyat Standing Orders allows for clause-by-clause scrutiny of the Bill by members of Parliament (MPs) from both sides of the House and other stakeholders.
“Legislation of this constitutional significance should not be passed without rigorous scrutiny and due deliberation, as the Freedom of Information Act will shape the relationship between the State and the public for generations,” it said.
The council said that the Bill should give legal effect to the people’s right to access information held by public authorities as an essential component of constitutional democracy and the right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 10(1)(a) of the Federal Constitution.
It said the Select Committee process presents a genuine opportunity to ensure the Bill reflects a presumption of maximum disclosure, narrowly constructed exemptions subject to harm and public interest tests, and to harmonise and amend existing secrecy legislation and regulatory provisions to ensure consistency with the Bill.
As an independent statutory body established under the Malaysian Media Council Act 2025 and mandated to uphold ethical and professional standards in the media, the council said it stands ready and willing to provide input to the Select Committee.
“The Council urges the Committee to engage meaningfully with media practitioners, civil society, academia and the public throughout its deliberations,” it said.
According to the council, access to information underpins good journalism by enabling journalists to investigate matters of public interest, verify official claims, expose corruption and maladministration and counter misinformation.
“Independent journalism depends on facts, and facts depend on access to information. A strong Freedom of Information Act is therefore not only a democratic reform but a precondition for the ethical, professional and accountable media that the Media Council Act 2025 seeks to secure,” it said.
Earlier, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, in a statement, said the government will table a motion tomorrow to refer the Freedom of Information Bill 2026 to the PSC, which would enable more thorough scrutiny of the Bill through engagement with MPs and stakeholders.
