Tag: MMC

Judicial experience helps strengthen MMC’s credibility – Nallini

BUTTERWORTH, JUNE 20 -- Newly appointed Malaysian Media Council (MMC) chairman Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan believes that her decades of experience in the judiciary can help the council build credibility, defend freedom and gain the people's trust. Responding to a question about the selection of a former judge to lead the media self-regulatory body, Nallini said the effectiveness of the council did not depend on power, but rather on its ability to gain confidence through the principles of justice and independence. "I am not a journalist. I have never run a newsroom, determined front pages or worked to deadlines to complete an assignment for the news desk," he said at a Media Dialogue Session with Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, here, today. However, the former Federal Court Judge said his experience in the judicial institution equipped him with the skills to defend the independence of the council, ensure a fair process and maintain public confidence in every decision made. "The main thing I can bring to this table is justice between parties who have no vested interest, decided based on evidence and explained openly with reasonable reasons," he said. Nallini said the Malaysian Media Council Act itself clearly stipulates that its chairman must be independent of political influence, the civil service and the legislature, thus reflecting the need for a neutral figure who is able to gain the trust of all stakeholders. He said that while editors and journalists remain experts in reporting and newsroom operations, the council's role is to strengthen the media ecosystem through authoritative standards, effective complaints mechanisms and fair dispute resolution. Commenting on the direction of the MMC, Nallini said that among his main priorities was to ensure that the council's basic structure was built based on the principles of justice and accountability. “My priority is on quality and fairness in our own processes, including our code of ethics, complaints mechanisms and how we reach and explain decisions. "These early months are actually the phase of building the constitution of this institution. If we can lay the right foundation such as fundamental justice, balanced considerations and reasons that can be scrutinized, the position of this council will be built on its own," he said. He said the second principle that needs to be applied is that independent media must also be responsible, while responsible media must be protected from pressure, harassment, misuse of names and manipulation. "Freedom and responsibility are not two opposing things, but rather complement each other in building trust," he said. In this regard, Nallini said the MMC has identified three immediate priorities, namely establishing a fair and efficient complaints and adjudication framework, expanding membership in the industry, and addressing new challenges including fake content and the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI). "This council will only benefit the government, industry and society as long as it is not owned by any party." "This kind of freedom cannot be declared just through speech, but must be proven through every decision and our willingness to differ from any party. That is the standard we want to uphold," he said. At the same time, he stressed that the council's complaints mechanism should not be used as a tool to silence journalists because courageous reporting, challenging authorities and raising difficult questions are not problems that need to be fixed, but rather an important role of the independent media. "This council will uphold standards, but we will always ensure that efforts to uphold those standards are not abused to the point of hindering journalism, which is so necessary in a democracy," he said. Also present at the dialogue session held in conjunction with the celebration of National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) 2026 were the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Communications Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah and Deputy Secretary-General (Strategic Communications and Creative Industries) Datuk Bahria Mohd Tamil. Also present were Bernama Chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai; Bernama Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the HAWANA 2026 Working Committee Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin; Bernama Editor-in-Chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, as well as senior management of local media organisations. -- BERNAMA

BUTTERWORTH, JUNE 20 — Newly appointed Malaysian Media Council (MMC) chairman Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan believes that her decades of experience in the judiciary can help the council build credibility, defend freedom and gain the people’s trust. Responding to a question about the selection of a former judge to lead the media self-regulatory body, Nallini […]

464 fake content related to global supply crisis identified in one month – Teo

KUALA LUMPUR -- A total of 464 fake content related to the global supply crisis was identified between March 29 and April 30, 2026, with 312 of them successfully taken down, said Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching. Apart from that, he said, a total of 65 investigation papers have been opened, with 15 cases referred to the Attorney General's Chambers, while the others are still under investigation. "The rapid spread of false information, amplified by artificial intelligence (AI), poses a major challenge to public trust," he said in his speech during the opening of the HAWANA 2026 Media Forum, here, today. Also present were Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of Communications (Strategic Communications and Creative Industries) Nik Kamaruzaman Nik Husin, Chairman of the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, Bernama Chief Executive Officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and Bernama Editor-in-Chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj. Teo said cases of fake content, including fake accounts and impersonation of public figures, have increased sharply in recent years, jumping from 6,297 cases in 2023 to 63,652 in 2024 and 98,503 in 2025. "As of April 30 this year alone, 60,829 such contents have been taken down by the platform," he said. He said the development showed the need for those involved in the world of journalism to always uphold credibility amidst the ever-changing digital landscape. Meanwhile, Teo urged the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) to play a greater role and take a more careful and prudent approach in handling media-related issues. He said this was important following Malaysia's latest ranking of 95th in the Reporters Without Borders index, down from 88th previously, reflecting ongoing concerns in the media landscape. "While the safety of journalists has improved, the decline in the media economy and legislation remains a concern, and this is not a position we can be complacent about." “Journalism is a pillar of democracy,” he said, adding that disputes over reporting should be resolved through the MMC as the ultimate arbiter. The MMC, established in February last year, is a self-regulatory body that aims to uphold journalistic ethics, formulate codes of conduct and safeguard the welfare of media practitioners. The council is governed by a board comprising representatives of media organisations, practitioners and public interest groups, including academics and the general public, with the participation of delegates from Sabah and Sarawak.

KUALA LUMPUR — A total of 464 fake content related to the global supply crisis was identified between March 29 and April 30, 2026, with 312 of them successfully taken down, said Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching. Apart from that, he said, a total of 65 investigation papers have been opened, with 15 cases […]