Petaling jaya: The Malaysian Media Council (MMM) and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) have formalised a partnership to strengthen journalist safety, uphold human rights, and promote ethical media practices.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the collaboration will include training for media practitioners, joint development of a human rights and journalism module, and the establishment of a Joint Working Group on Gender, Media and Human Rights. These initiatives are part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed yesterday, marking the first formal framework of cooperation between MMM, established under the Malaysian Media Council Act 2025 [Act 868], and SUHAKAM, established under the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999 [Act 597].
"Through the MoU, MMM and SUHAKAM will continue to pursue practical areas of cooperation that strengthen both human rights protections and responsible media practice, while recognising the important role of a free, independent and ethical media in Malaysia," the statement read.
The MoU was signed by MMM chairperson Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan and SUHAKAM chairman Datuk Seri Mohd Hishamudin Md Yunus at the MMM office in Petaling Jaya. MMM said the training will initially centre on the prevention of harassment and safety of journalists. It will also tackle harassment that occurs outside traditional newsrooms or workplaces, with particular attention given to women journalists, freelancers and media practitioners in less secure forms of employment.
The jointly developed module on human rights and journalism, grounded in relevant international standards, will cover trauma-informed reporting, ethical approaches to covering survivors' experiences, safeguarding vulnerable sources, and gender representation within newsrooms and in reporting practices.
The joint working group will be informed by the Concluding Observations on Malaysia and relevant General Recommendations of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). "The Working Group will examine the MMM Code of Conduct through a gender and human rights lens, review the handling of complaints involving gender-related harm, and develop non-binding recommendations to further strengthen gender-responsive and ethical media standards," the statement added.
The cooperation is the result of a meeting between MMM and SUHAKAM in February, during which both institutions identified shared concerns such as gender stereotyping in media reporting, sexual harassment involving journalists, journalist safety, ethical reporting involving minors and gender-based violence, as well as complaints related to media conduct. The meeting also led to a joint statement issued on International Women's Day on March 8, in which the institutions affirmed their commitment to advancing gender equality and strengthening ethical media practices.