Re: Request your endorsement on Petition Against Statutory Media Council

The Malaysian Press Institute has proposed the setup of a Media Council to deal with issues pertaining to media. There are growing concerns on the lack of consultation with the civil society and stakeholders in media in the process of drafting the media council bill.

There are wrorries that the way the proposed media council is structured, the appointment of council members and the power of the council to regulate media will lead to further curbing of press freedom in Malaysia and eventually the shrinking of freedom of expressions and freedom to information of the civil society, rather than expanding them.

Therefore, the Media Agenda Malaysia, an intiatives of a group of journalists, is starting a peititon campaign to oppose the statutory media council as proposed by the draft bill and demand for a fully independent, self-funded and self-regulated media council.

We appeal for your support to this important initiative to defend the right to a free press, the right to information and freedom of expression in Malaysia.

Please find the petition attached and send back your organisation's endorsement to Suaram at suaram@suaram.org

For more information on the issues, please visit http://www.suaram.org Thank you for your attention.

Sincerely,

Yap Swee Seng
Coordinator

.................

SELF-REGULATION OF THE MEDIA

We, the undersigned, take note that the Malaysian Press Institute has proposed the formation of a Media Council under an Act of Parliament.

As members of civil society who feel that additional legislation is not in the interests of freedom of expression, we wish to place on record our immediate concerns and recommendations:

1. Self-regulation of the media was the platform on which 951 journalists submitted a two-part memorandum to the Home Minister in May 1999 and April 2000, which called for repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.

2. The creation of a Media Council must, therefore, go hand in hand with repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, in particular the annual licensing provision.

3. The proposed Council must be an independent, self-funding and self-regulated body that has the confidence of both the profession and the public.

4. The formulation of a self-regulatory model must include the views and suggestions of all working journalists in both the traditional and new media.

5. Any revisions must similarly be circulated to civil society organisations who should be given sufficient time to provide a studied response.

6. The MPI should strive to achieve consensus among all stakeholders on the key points of the Council's independence, composition, funding and sanctions.

7. The proposed Council must add to the primary function of promoting credibility of the media through accountability. A parallel function must be to establish, protect and sustain media freedom.

As members of civil society who back journalists aiming for the highest level of professional standards and ethics, we strongly urge the MPI to:

· Retract its proposal for statutory control of the media; and

· Replace it with a fully independent self-regulatory mechanism in consultation with all stakeholders in the media.

Thank you.

(name of organisation)

Date:

______________________
Terbitan : 27 Okt 2002

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