Fahmi encourages MCMC to have more engagements with organisations

Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil has encouraged the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to engage more with all organisations.

This comes after a group of media veteran professionals took umbrage with MCMC demanding online news portal MalaysiaNow amend or withdraw its article on a commotion that broke out in the Dewan Rakyat last Tuesday.

“I encourage MCMC to have further engagements with all organisations.

“MCMC doesn’t only look after this particular area but any other sectors as well.

“I appreciate and value the feedback that has been given by the members of the media and I will, as mentioned, have a briefing by MCMC to understand what transpired and how is it we can ensure things can be better,” he said to reporters after attending the launch of the Malaysia Digital Expo 2023 in Bandar Utama today.

Fahmi (above) earlier said he just returned from overseas and was not clear on what happened between MCMC and MalaysiaNow.

Fahmi said he believes whatever actions taken by MCMC will be within the boundaries of the law.

“They don’t refer everything to me before they take any action.

“In fact, sometimes it’s in collaboration with investigations by the police or public complaints that they received,” he said.

He stressed that he respects the views of journalists and that freedom of the press is very important to the government.

However, there is also a need for the media to be factually correct in their reporting, as he noted that there have been public complaints “with regard to some reporting”.

That is why the government is currently working on forming a media council to mitigate and resolve these issues, he said.

Yesterday, a group of veteran media professionals took the MCMC to task for “putting the blame” on MalaysiaNow over the latter’s reports on a ruckus that broke out in the Dewan Rakyat.

The article in question was on the rowdy exchange between government and opposition lawmakers, which led to Putrajaya MP Radzi Jidin being removed from the august House.

The MCMC previously justified its demands to MalaysiaNow by saying the article had reported the proceedings out of context with the intent to “spread hatred or incite provocation”.

MalaysiaNow has thus far ignored the request to amend or withdraw the article.