A Historical and Significant Victory for Press Freedom
After more than half a century of advocacy, Malaysia’s Parliament has finally passed the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) Bill, marking a watershed moment for media regulation in the country.
This development, which transitions Malaysia towards a self-regulating media framework, will have significant implications for industry practitioners operating in the Malaysian market.
The journey to establish the MMC has been exceptionally long.
First proposed in 1974 by Malaysia’s second prime minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, the concept has experienced numerous false starts over the decades.
Press organisations and journalists have consistently campaigned for an independent, self-regulating media council to replace the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984, which has long been criticised for enabling government control over media outlets.
Digital and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, speaking at a press conference following the bill’s passage, described it as “a significant victory for media freedom in Malaysia,” whilst acknowledging that “the process is still far from complete and this is just the beginning.”
Structure and Composition
The MMC’s governance structure reveals a thoughtful attempt to balance various stakeholders’ interests.
The council will be managed by a board featuring representatives from three distinct categories: media companies, media associations, and non-media members including academics, media trainers, NGOs and the public.
The 21-member board will comprise:
A chairman
Two government representatives (nominated by the communications minister)
Four members representing media companies
Four members representing media associations
Four non-media members
Six additional members appointed to ensure balanced representation across gender, locality and media diversity
Notably, the bill mandates gender balance and regional representation, requiring at least one female member and one representative from Sabah or Sarawak in several categories.
Scope and Limitations
According to the bill, the advertising industry, online service providers, and content aggregators that reproduce news from other sources are explicitly excluded from the definition of “media industry.”
This distinction creates a clear separation between news media and marketing communications channels, potentially allowing the advertising industry to maintain its existing self-regulatory frameworks whilst news media transitions to the MMC model.
The MMC’s establishment still requires several procedural steps before becoming operational.
Following its passage in the Dewan Rakyat (Lower House), the bill must now pass through the Senate before receiving royal assent from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and being gazetted.
Minister Fahmi Fadzil expressed optimism about the timeline, stating, “We hope that this year, if we are able to, by the middle of this year, we can bring it into existence.”
The initial phase will involve the appointment of a founding board, which will then have six months to hold the council’s first general meeting and oversee the election of a permanent board.
