Govt has no intention of curbing press freedom — Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR: Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the MADANI Government has no intention of curbing the freedom of the press.

He said that so far, not a single journalist has been arrested, brought to court or interrogated by authorities for reporting or publishing news reports about major scandals.

“As a democrat and someone who adheres to the principles of reform, I and this administration have no intention of curbing the right to freedom of speech, especially the rights of journalists to report.

“Freedom of the press is one of the core principles that we do not only need to support but also further enhance,” he said during the Minister’s Question Time in Dewan Rakyat Tuesday.

He was responding to a supplementary question from RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) who wanted to know the government’s assurance in ensuring that the updated Malaysian Code of Ethics for Journalists would not restrain any media practitioners from reporting or uncovering any scandals and so on.

Regarding media accreditation cards issued by the Information Department (JaPen), Fahmi said the document facilitates media practitioners’ coverage, especially at official government events.

“It also facilitates the process for government agencies to identify whether these journalists are from accredited media agencies for reporting at official government functions...or for covering Parliament sittings, journalists need a document, and Parliament refers to JaPen’s media card,” he said.

He emphasised that the absence of a media accreditation card does not hinder journalists from carrying out their tasks. “It is important to note that the document is not intended to restrict or deny journalists’ rights to perform their duties,” he said.

Meanwhile, Fahmi said the Malaysian Code of Ethics for Journalists, launched on Feb 20, is an improvement to the previous code published by the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI) in 1989.

“The improvement is in line with changes in the digital media industry. JaPen will use this Malaysian Code of Ethics for Journalists as a reference and guide for issuing and revoking accreditation cards for media practitioners in Malaysia,” he said.

Fahmi said this in response to Datuk Wan Saifulruddin Wan Jan’s (PN-Tasek Gelugor) original question about the rationale behind the enactment of the new code of ethics for journalists, considering the implications for media freedom and the comprehensive media regulatory framework.