Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil says PM Anwar Ibrahim wants the Malaysian Media Council’s role enhanced to ensure media freedom and address industry challenges.
PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for the role of the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) to be strengthened to ensure media freedom.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil (pic) said the prime minister relayed this directive during a phone call last night.
“The Prime Minister made a call to me at midnight to discuss this matter, and from what he can see, there is a need to strengthen the MMC,” Fahmi told reporters.
He was commenting on Anwar’s statement that the government is ready to provide a more open space for media freedom, including considering a review of related laws.
Fahmi said several matters would be followed up through further discussions with the MMC.
He described the council as the most suitable body to represent the industry and discuss the direction and needs of media practitioners.
Efforts are also ongoing to secure a permanent office for the MMC as a first step.
This will allow the council to scrutinise and refine its role and related matters more thoroughly.
Fahmi highlighted journalistic ethics as a primary concern, particularly discrepancies between headlines and news content.
“I believe our media colleagues are aware of this issue,” he said.
He noted that reports from the field are sometimes altered during the editing process at the editor-in-chief level.
The government has also provided a Media Innovation Fund to help media companies face sudden changes.
These challenges include loss of advertising revenue and employee productivity issues due to technological disruption.
The MMC is an independent body established as a self-regulatory mechanism for the media industry.
It has the role of promoting journalistic ethics and media freedom.
The council was established in line with the Malaysian Media Council Act, which came into effect on June 14, 2025.
