Committee discusses approach and policies for communications and multimedia issues

The Communications and Multimedia Consultative Council (MPKM) met for the first time today as a platform for the government to discuss and get inputs from stakeholders in planning approaches and policies for communication and multimedia issues.

Communications and Multimedia (KKMM) Minister, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, who chaired the meeting, said MPKM had brought together representatives from three sectors, namely the government, business (private) and civil society.

“The days of the government knowing everything is over. Therefore, we are establishing a close relationship between the government and other stakeholders, either private entity or civil society.

“In civil society, there are many components, including media, academics, professionals, women, youths and so on,” he said in his speech at the opening of the meeting.

According to the statement issued by KKMM in conjunction with the meeting, the setting up of MPKM was in line with the ministry’s objective of driving intelligence in the community.

KKMM said it was also in tandem with the ministry’s vision, which is to produce a connected, informed, creative and digitally cultured society.

“And all the ministry’s laws, policies and programmes are vehicles to achieve those objectives,” he said.

The MPKM comprises 15 members, including three from KKMM, namely Saifuddin as chairman, his deputy Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin as deputy chairman and ministry secretary-general, Datuk Suriani Ahmad.

The other MPKM members include Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka board of control chairman Prof Datuk Dr Awang Sariyan; former Sarawak State Secretary Tan Sri Mohamad Morshidi Abdul Ghani; 2019 National Journalist Award winner, Tan Sri Johan Jaafar; former National Space Agency director-general, Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Mazlan Othman; and UEM Sunrise chairman, Tan Sri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa.

Also in the MPKM are Third World Network Programme director, Chee Yoke Ling; National Tech Association of Malaysia (PIKOM) chairman, Danny Lee; Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (FOMCA) chairman, Datuk Dr Paul Selvarajah; and Malaysian Youth Council vice-president, Kavita Mahendran.

The other members comprise Sabah Institute for Development Studies chief executive officer, Tany Kiob@ Anthony Kiob; Malaysian representative to the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), Eric Paulsen; and start-up development expert, Mohd Razin Muhammad.

Some of the MPKM members attended today’s meeting at the KKMM by adopting social distancing while others joined in via video conferencing.

At the meeting, Saifuddin also launched a competition for Malaysian youths aged between 18 and 30 to contribute ideas and suggestions through the “Ideas4KKMM” for the improvement of the ministry’s ‪2019-2023‬ Strategic Plan.

He said, the 10 best ideas, conveyed through essays not exceeding 750 words and accompanied by infographics or pictures, would be chosen to receive special prizes.

“I will also invite them to a special meeting with me so that I can get to hear the youths’ views on the ministry.

Entries can be submitted through the KKMM website a href="https://www.kkmm.gov.my/awam/ideas4kkmm"https://www.kkmm.gov.my/awam/ideas4kkmm/a. - BERNAMA