Kuala Lumpur: Minister of Communications, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, today announced that the Founding Board of the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) has been finalised. The board will consist of 12 members, with four representatives each from the media company category, the media association category, media practitioners and independent media practitioners, and the non-media member category. “MMC will be making the announcement soon,” Fahmi stated during his address at the National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) 2025 Summit held at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the summit was themed “Journalism in the New Era: Embracing AI, Safeguarding Ethics” and was attended by approximately 1,000 media practitioners from both local and international platforms. The event was officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, with notable attendees including Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Dr Zaliha Mustafa and Deputy Minister of Communications Teo Nie Ching.
The presence of key figures such as Ministry of Communications secretary-general Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chairman Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai, and Bernama chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin underscored the importance of the event. Bernama editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj, who also serves as the director of the HAWANA 2025 Project, was among the top management of national media companies present.
Previously, Fahmi had indicated that the MMC is anticipated to begin its operations by mid-year, following the passage of the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) Bill 2024 in Parliament in February. The MMC is set to function as a self-regulatory body to uphold media freedom and ensure adherence to journalistic ethics, thereby strengthening Malaysia’s media industry.
The HAWANA 2025 celebration, orchestrated by the Ministry of Communications with Bernama as the implementing agency, seeks to acknowledge the pivotal role and contributions of media practitioners in the nation’s development.