KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Media Council Bill is expected to be tabled during the Third Meeting of the Third Session of the 15th Parliament, which is slated to begin in mid-October, says Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching (pic).

She said the Communications Ministry is currently in the final stage of finalising the content of the Bill together with the Malaysian Media Council Pro Tem Committee, which consists of representatives of the media industry, academics and the public.

“This is to ensure that the provisions in the Bill are clear and that the establishment of the media council will meet its objectives,” she said when winding up the debate on the motion for the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) Annual Report and Financial Statement for 2021 and 2022 for the Communications Ministry at the Dewan Rakyat sitting on Tuesday (July 2).

She said, that last May, the ministry was asked by the Attorney General’s Chambers to refer the Bill to the Malaysian Productivity Corporation (MPC) for Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA).

Teo said once the draft of the Bill is finalised and the RIA process is completed, it will be submitted to the AGC for further review.

“After the AGC review, the ministry will present a Cabinet memorandum to obtain approval for the tabling of the Bill in Parliament,” she said.

The proposed establishment of the Malaysian Media Council is to develop and implement a code of reporting ethics that can empower the nation’s journalism profession and ensure news reporting by the media is done responsibly.

It also serves to promote communication between media practitioners, government and the general public as well as support the professional development of journalists and media organisations. – Bernama