KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 — It is estimated that the local media suffered about RM2 billion losses in annual advertisement earnings from a total of RM4.5 billion to three social media giants, Meta, Google and TikTok.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the matter is the biggest and most serious challenge faced by media organisations in the country.

He said the ministry takes a serious view of the matter which needed to be studied and given focus as the advertisement revenue is only paid to social media platform providers and not to media organisations.

"I think there should a balance so that there is a bit of return to media companies...it is still being discussed and I believe all parties can be brought to the negotiation table so that a more conducive environment could be established and realised.

"We can apply on how we manage the issue of implementing 5G earlier when I managed to invite all telecommunications companies to discuss and eventually all us agreed so this way of management can be used to solve this issue of advertising expenses,” he said.

Fahmi said this when met by reporters after delivering the keynote address at the opening ceremony of "Transcending Disinformation: Towards Responsible Media Consumption” organised by the Asia Pacific Broadcasting Development Institute (AIBD) here today.

He also hopes that the social media platform will hold many engagement sessions with media organisations to help them use the social media platform effectively and efficiently.

Asked about the current vacant director-general position at the Community Communications Department (J-Kom), Fahmi said he would meet the department’s management today, among other things, to discuss new appointments to fill the position as soon as possible.

He said in the meeting, he will get more information on whether the relevant department already has a replacement for the new director-general who was selected while under the supervision of the Prime Minister’s Department (JPM), since J-Kom has just been transferred to the Ministry of Communications with effect from yesterday.

"Previously, the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) once said that a successor had been identified, but in terms of his administration, whether it has come into effect or not will be confirmed in today’s meeting. There is no deadline but this appointment (director-general of J-Kom) will be made as soon as possible because it is important, give me some time,” he said

When asked whether the appointment of the new J-Kom director-general would be among civil servants or external appointments, Fahmi said he did not know yet and the matter would be discussed during today’s meeting.

On November 15, Datuk Mohammad Agus Yusoff confirmed that he had sent his letter of resignation as director-general of J-Kom to the prime minister, just nine months after being appointed to lead the department on February 2. — Bernama