KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 (Bernama) — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said complaints against journalists from recognised media organisations will no longer result in automatic investigations or enforcement action, but must first be referred to the Malaysian Media Council (MMM).
He said the mechanism was introduced to ensure any action against media practitioners is conducted fairly, transparently and independently, while preventing journalists from being subjected to investigations or prosecution without proper scrutiny.
Anwar said journalists should not be penalised simply because a complaint has been lodged, adding that the MMM would serve as the first level of review before any action is taken.
“There is no law anywhere in the world that grants absolute freedom to members of the press. The Prime Minister and journalists alike are bound by the law. However, I agree that journalists should not be easily dragged into cases merely because a government department feels criticised.
“We established the MMM to facilitate this process. If there is misconduct by a media organisation, the matter will first be referred to the MMM. It will no longer automatically lead to an investigation or prosecution, as the process now requires referral to the MMM before any action is taken,” he said during the Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today.
The Prime Minister said this in reply to Datuk Mohd Isam Mohd Isa (BN-Tampin) on the government’s position regarding Malaysia’s legal framework, which allows journalists to be prosecuted under the Sedition Act 1948 and the Official Secrets Act 1972, laws that critics argue indirectly restrict press freedom.
Anwar said the establishment of the MMM was among the government’s initiatives to strengthen responsible press freedom while ensuring journalists continued to be protected within the country’s legal framework.
In fact, he said no journalists had been prosecuted over the past year despite numerous complaints being lodged by various parties.
On allegations that the Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) logo had been used on a Facebook livestream featuring a political programme, Anwar said the matter could be probed to see if the claim was true.
“I was not aware of it, but if it did happen, we can rectify it…The only issue is the use of the RTM logo,” he said in reply to Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas), who alleged that the government’s official media platform had been used to broadcast political content.
Anwar said anyone who believes inaccurate reports or content have been published on social media may lodge a complaint directly with the platform concerned or with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), which can then request the platform operator to take appropriate action.
However, he noted that such requests are not automatically accepted, as the final decision rests with the social media platform in accordance with its own policies.
He said the mechanisms through the MMM and the complaint process via the MCMC reflected the government’s efforts to safeguard press freedom while upholding the law and protecting the public interest.
— BERNAMA