KUALA LUMPUR, May 11 — Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil today said the Bill to form the Malaysian Media Council will not be tabled during this year’s second parliamentary meeting.
Instead, he said the proposed legislation could be tabled in the final meeting of the year or the first of 2024.
“The Bill will not be tabled so soon.
“I hope the Bill can be tabled before end of the year which is during the October session or in the February or March session in 2024,” he told the reporters at his ministry’s Aidilfitri open house at Angkasapuri here.
Fahmi said the matter must first be submitted to the Cabinet and the Attorney General’s Chambers before being presented to Parliament.
The draft Bill was still being reviewed by the media industry, he said.
The council was proposed in 2018 under the Pakatan Harapan government as a way for the media to regulate itself and pave the way for the government to possibly repeal laws seen as restricting press freedom, such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act.
The PH government collapsed before the council could be formalised, however, and the matter became dormant.
On March 13, Fahmi said the draft Bill would be discussed with the pro-tem committee.
