Fahmi affirms commitment to media freedom

AMID criticism over the new Malaysian Code of Ethics for Journalists, Fahmi Fadzil has insisted that his stance to champion media freedom remains unwavering.

The Communications Minister reiterated his commitment to media freedom after a government backbencher expressed concern that the code would be used to suppress journalists from writing exposés.

“I have always been one of the MPS who championed the plight of journalists, and I have even been slandered in the Dewan Rakyat for defending journalists’ rights.

“As a democrat who holds onto the principles of reformation, both myself and this government do not wish to limit the freedom of speech or journalists’ rights.

“The freedom of the press remains one of the core values that we don’t just support but will also continue to champion,” he said in response to RSN Rayer (Ph-jelutong) during the ministry Question Time at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Rayer had raised concerns that the new code would be used to restrict and revoke the issuance of media certification cards (KPM) for journalists.

“Having a KPM or not does not restrict anybody from writing a report or exposé,” said Fahmi.

“We do not restrict anyone who wishes to do a report based on a live feed or a recorded press conference.

“KPM is not an accreditation; it is just a document to make it easier for journalists to attend and cover official government events or Parliament,” he added.

Earlier, Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan (Pn-tasek Gelugor) had asked Fahmi to explain the rationale behind the formulation of the code and give his guarantee that it would not be used to curtail media freedom.

The new code was launched on Feb 20.

This marks the first time the journalism ethics manual has been reviewed in 35 years since it was developed in 1989 by the Malaysian Press Institute.

The manual outlines eight fundamental ethics that underscore the responsibilities and standards expected of journalists in the country.