Kuala lumpur: The government will not exert pressure on, or take action against, media organisations even if it disagrees with their reports, in line with its commitment to uphold press freedom in the country. Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching emphasized this stance while addressing concerns in the Dewan Rakyat.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Teo clarified that the current approach of the MADANI Government marks a departure from previous practices, as it prefers to express its position openly without limiting press freedom. She stressed that summoning media outlets like MalaysiaKini over reports would be misinterpreted as a violation of press freedom, hence the government chooses to merely state its position on disagreeable content.
Addressing allegations raised by Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas) regarding fake accounts purportedly boosting online support for the Prime Minister, Teo cited a META statement which found no abnormal activities. While acknowledging the existence of fake accounts, she reiterated the government's respect for press freedom, highlighting the importance of responsible and ethical journalism.
Teo further mentioned the establishment of the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) under the Malaysian Media Council Act 2025 (Act 868), effective from June 14. The MMC aims to uphold ethical journalism standards, with its first AGM held on November 7, approving a code of conduct and complaints mechanism.
In response to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad (BN-Simpang Renggam), Teo noted the ministry's collaboration with agencies like the Department of Information (JAPEN) to communicate government initiatives. She highlighted JAPEN Digital's role in disseminating accurate information and countering false claims.
To aid the public in discerning true from false news, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) introduced the Artificial Intelligence Fact Check Assistant (AIFA). Since its launch, AIFA has averaged 760 messages daily, indicating growing public awareness, Teo added.