Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian Media Council Bill, designed to enhance cooperation between the government and media industry representatives, is set to be tabled for its second reading in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil emphasized the collaboration between the Ministry of Communications and the Malaysian Media Council Protem Committee, which has been ongoing since early 2023.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Protem Committee includes 40 members from various sectors, such as media associations, practitioners, academicians, and media companies like Malaysiakini, Astro Awani, and The Star. Minister Fahmi Fadzil stated that this Bill aligns with the media industry's aspiration to establish a body for strengthening media governance in Malaysia, underscoring the government's commitment to ensuring media freedom.

The Bill, first introduced on December 12, 2024, aims to create a self-regulatory entity to protect the interests of media professionals. Additionally, Fahmi highlighted the effectiveness of the Artificial Intelligence Fact-check Assistant (AIFA) Chatbot, which processed over 57,000 messages as of February 23. The chatbot addresses public inquiries on topics ranging from governmental aid to regional health issues.

Developed by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), AIFA serves to verify information swiftly, aiding the public in accessing credible data. Fahmi also reported the blocking of over 5,000 gambling websites and the removal of over 224,000 gambling-related social media content from 2022 to early February of this year. The majority of these removals occurred on Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.

Furthermore, MCMC blocked 316 websites with prostitution-related content and removed over 2,300 social media content. Facebook, TikTok, and Telegram were the primary platforms affected. These actions are based on official requests from enforcement agencies and public complaints, as stated by Fahmi.