Kuala Lumpur: The Dewan Negara has passed the BERNAMA (Amendment) Bill 2024, which aims to foster inclusivity within the media industry. The Bill, presented by Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching, received a majority voice vote following deliberations by eight senators.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the primary objective of the amendment is to replace the term ‘proprietors of newspapers’ with ‘media organisations.’ This change is intended to unify all media under a specific definition, thereby assisting the government in disseminating information more effectively.
The Bill represents the first amendment to the BERNAMA Act 1967 since its inception. It seeks to redefine media organisations as entities involved in disseminating news through various platforms, including newspapers, radio, television, and digital media.
Under the new amendment, media organisation owners from any platform can be considered for membership in the Bernama Board of Governors, provided they subscribe to the national news agency. This marks a departure from previous limitations that only included traditional media outlets.
Teo highlighted examples such as Oriental Daily, Sin Chew Daily, and China Press, which have moved to digital media, and Malaysiakini, which was previously ineligible for board membership despite being a Bernama subscriber. The amendment also opens opportunities for Tamil-language media like Vanakkam Malaysia to participate.
While acknowledging that the amendment is not a comprehensive solution to issues like fake news, Teo detailed various government efforts to address the problem. The ministry, alongside the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), has introduced the artificial intelligence fact-check assistant (AIFA) to help verify information rapidly. Other initiatives include the MyCheck Malaysia portal and the Sebenarnya.my portal.
Teo further mentioned Bernama’s efforts to enhance its international presence through collaborations with global news agencies like Anadolu and China Media Group. Bernama has correspondent bureaus in key Southeast Asian cities and is a member of the Organisation of Asia-Pacific News Agencies (OANA).
The agency also caters to diverse communities in Malaysia, with dedicated news segments in Mandarin and Tamil on Bernama TV. This ensures that accurate information reaches all segments of society.
Since its establishment, Bernama has played a crucial role in disseminating information and effectively reporting on government policies, serving as a primary reference for both local and international media entities.