MCMC to meet Awesome TV over claim of number of civil servants to be reduced - Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR: The Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will hold a meeting with local television channel, Awesome TV, today to seek clarification on its news reports which claimed the number of civil servants will be reduced.

Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said he was informed that the television channel had committed six violations in relation to publishing news material that did not comply with regulations and laws.

. "So at 12.30 pm (today) MCMC will meet with Awesome TV to discuss the matter," he said during the question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau) on the ministry's stand and conditions regarding the use of sources in news publications.

Fahmi said news reporting should be balanced to avoid defamation.

"We understand that journalists have the right to maintain the confidentiality of the identity of their sources, but we need to have balanced reporting... and maybe this (meeting) is a discussion between media practitioners and the authorities to find a common ground for the matter," he added.

To Shahidan's original question on whether the ministry intended to review the law on press freedom to deal with the problem of unethical reporters, Fahmi said the ministry had plans to amend the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588).

He said it was not aimed at restricting freedom of expression or freedom of the media, but rather to strengthen the regulatory framework related to network security and reliability.

"Journalists should stick to the principles and ethics of journalism by only reporting accurate and authentic news in accordance with the provisions of the law. Any broadcast or publication of incorrect information must be corrected immediately with notification of the error (errata)," he said.

-- BERNAMA