We are ready to help, says international press body
Ajinder KaurPublished: Apr 22, 2001 11:38 PM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 10:21 AM
An international press organisation has offered its assistance to the Malaysian journalists' current exercise to prepare a press council proposal to the Home Ministry.
However, the World Association of Press and Media Councils (WAPC) expressed hope that the journalists would look at setting up a media, not merely a press, council.
The world trend now is to establish media councils to encompass both electronic and print media and Malaysia should follow this trend, WAPC secretary general R. Gunasingam told malaysiakini today.
"Malaysia must have an independent media council for it to develop as a regional centre of information and to promote the freedom of speech and expression," he said.
From the outset, Malaysian should look at setting up a council not just to regulate the print media, as is presently the expressed aim of some journalists, but to make sure the body also covers electronic media.
He was commenting on an initiative by a group of mainstream print journalists who are preparing a special report to the Home Ministry on the proposal to set up a National Press Council to regulate the local press. ([#1]"Press council proposal to strengthen case for media freedom"[/#], April 12)
Concerned with declining confidence of the public in their credibility, such a council, they hoped, will also strengthen their demand for the repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA), which among other things, requires the annual renewal of all newspapers' publication permit.
A committee spokesperson Zainon Ahmad said that they will use as models the press councils in Thailand, the Philippines, Australia and Britain.
While congratulating the group of six for their effort, Gunasingam cautioned that they should very carefully study the foreign models in order to avoid the mistakes of other countries.
"The Thai press council was recently formed but has not effectively taken off the ground. The Australian council, meanwhile, is a voluntary press council financed by the media which is good but not really suitable for developing countries as it would be in terms of survivability," he said.
He added that the media council is constituted based on each country's legal traditions, constitution, socio-economic background, culture and civilisation.
"You cannot find an ideal model of an independent media council that is suitable for any country, but the important thing is it must be totally autonomous and independent of government and outside interference," Gunasingam said.
He stressed that the right of free speech is a fundamental human right, of which freedom of the media is an essential corollary.
"This freedom is neither a proprietary right of the publisher nor a privilege of journalists. It is the right of the people as citizens of the country to be informed," Gunasingam added.
Therefore, he said, the institution of a media council was a desirable method whereby freedom of the media and corresponding responsibilities may be developed and enhanced.
WAPC was formed in 1992 with an initial committee of five press councils. Having expanded to 20 country members today, the association has organised a number of regional and international conferences.
However, the World Association of Press and Media Councils (WAPC) expressed hope that the journalists would look at setting up a media, not merely a press, council.
The world trend now is to establish media councils to encompass both electronic and print media and Malaysia should follow this trend, WAPC secretary general R. Gunasingam told malaysiakini today.
"Malaysia must have an independent media council for it to develop as a regional centre of information and to promote the freedom of speech and expression," he said.
From the outset, Malaysian should look at setting up a council not just to regulate the print media, as is presently the expressed aim of some journalists, but to make sure the body also covers electronic media.
He was commenting on an initiative by a group of mainstream print journalists who are preparing a special report to the Home Ministry on the proposal to set up a National Press Council to regulate the local press. ([#1]"Press council proposal to strengthen case for media freedom"[/#], April 12)
Concerned with declining confidence of the public in their credibility, such a council, they hoped, will also strengthen their demand for the repeal of the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA), which among other things, requires the annual renewal of all newspapers' publication permit.
A committee spokesperson Zainon Ahmad said that they will use as models the press councils in Thailand, the Philippines, Australia and Britain.
While congratulating the group of six for their effort, Gunasingam cautioned that they should very carefully study the foreign models in order to avoid the mistakes of other countries.
"The Thai press council was recently formed but has not effectively taken off the ground. The Australian council, meanwhile, is a voluntary press council financed by the media which is good but not really suitable for developing countries as it would be in terms of survivability," he said.
He added that the media council is constituted based on each country's legal traditions, constitution, socio-economic background, culture and civilisation.
"You cannot find an ideal model of an independent media council that is suitable for any country, but the important thing is it must be totally autonomous and independent of government and outside interference," Gunasingam said.
He stressed that the right of free speech is a fundamental human right, of which freedom of the media is an essential corollary.
"This freedom is neither a proprietary right of the publisher nor a privilege of journalists. It is the right of the people as citizens of the country to be informed," Gunasingam added.
Therefore, he said, the institution of a media council was a desirable method whereby freedom of the media and corresponding responsibilities may be developed and enhanced.
WAPC was formed in 1992 with an initial committee of five press councils. Having expanded to 20 country members today, the association has organised a number of regional and international conferences.
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