Media council opens membership sign-up next month
Applications can be submitted at www.majlismedia.my, the council said in a statement yesterday, Bernama reported.
'Membership is open to media owners, professionals, individuals and organisations involved in the media ecosystem, as well as those representing the public's interest,' the statement read.
This was announced after members of the founding board received their letters of appointment from Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil (pic).
The MMC also announced that its inaugural Annual General Meeting (AGM) is scheduled to take place on Nov 7 in Kuala Lumpur.
At the AGM, new board members will be elected and key matters will be discussed, including the membership fee structure, the industry's code of ethics, the complaints mechanism, the annual budget and MMC's bylaws.
At its first meeting, the founding board appointed Premesh Chandran as interim chairperson, pending the election of a full board later this year.
As an independent self-regulatory body for Malaysia's media industry, the MMC is expected to play a pivotal role in promoting ethical and responsible journalism, establishing the industry code of ethics and serving as a bridge between the media, government and the public.
'The MMC will enhance professionalism in the media industry and protect public interest within an increasingly complex media environment,' MMC added.
MMC said its structure is designed to ensure broad representation, with the founding board consisting of elected representatives from media publishers, media professionals and public interest groups, including academics and members of civil society.
'Additionally, the government may appoint two representatives. Notably, the MMC Act 2025 stipulates that at least 25% of board members must come from Sabah and Sarawak, and leadership of the Council must reflect gender parity – a first in Malaysia,' it said.
In the same statement, founding board member Phyllis Wong, representing Borneo Post and Utusan Borneo, expressed her honour at being entrusted with this responsibility.
She felt encouraged by the collective commitment to uphold media ethics and accountability, even though the MMC is not yet fully operational.
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