Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz told the Dewan Rakyat that the government has no intention of reverting the task of monitoring private television and radio stations back to the Information Ministry.

He said that the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 which replaced the Agreement Act of the Information Ministry empowered the Energy, Water and Communications Ministry to carry out this function.

Furthermore, a Cabinet committee comprising of ministers from the energy, water and communications minister, information minister and culture, arts and heritage minister was also formed to monitor broadcast content.

Nazri was replying to a question from Ghazali Ibrahim (BN-Padang Terap) who asked the prime minister whether the government intended to restore the intermediary rights of the Information Ministry over private broadcasters.

He added the government could withdraw the permits of private television and radio stations if their broadcasts ran contrary to the predetermined conditions. - Vanmala Subramaniam