‘MEDIA ETHICS CODE WON’T CURB FREEDOM’
Fahmi: Essence of 1989 document remains, updated to include new platforms
COMMUNICATIONS Minister Fahmi Fadzil yesterday rubbished claims that the Malaysian Code of Ethics for Journalists was an attempt by the government to control the media and freedom of speech.
He said the claims were unfair to the Information Department (JaPen) and Malaysia Press Institute (MPI) as the code had existed since 1989.
“If you were to compare the relaunched document and the 1989 document, they are almost the same.
“The preamble is the same; there are still eight key points.
“It has nothing to do with curbing media freedom.
“At the launch, the MPI chief executive officer said this document was the original one from 1989, so we cannot discount or we cannot nullify this fact.”
He said this after launching the Maxis 5G-Advanced Trial Showcase here.
Fahmi said it was necessary to update the code, especially with the introduction of blogs and online media, which didn’t exist when the code was introduced.
On Wednesday, Lawyers for Liberty director Zaid Malek said the new code of ethics was a backdoor way of reviving the AntiFake News law, couched in terms of “journalistic ethics”, where the credibility of any news and its sources would be determined by the government.
The code was relaunched earlier this week with Fahmi describing it as a guideline for media agencies to carry out their duties.
He said this would promote professionalism and integrity of the media as a source of news and information trusted by the people.
In other news, Fahmi said content creators might soon be able to easily lodge complaints should anyone reproduce their work without credit.
Fahmi said the government would look into introducing a system so that content creators could be protected.
This, he said, included portals and blogs that might lift such content without permission.
Fahmi acknowledged that some content, including news excerpts, were taken without permission and could be interpreted out of context, which may lead to fake news.
“We can develop a basic system where the content or news owner can lodge a complaint and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission for example (as a regulator), could take action against (the perpetrators).
“We have yet to have that system, but it could be developed. It would be a basic and simple system so that we can protect the ownership or copyright of the content owner.”
Fahmi was responding to questions on whether the government would take action against small portals who are “stealing” content from others.