Government guarantees freedom of press - PM

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 7 (Bernama) --  Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob today assured media practitioners in the country that they are free to report any news but the reports should be based on accurate and authentic facts.

In their role as disseminators of information, the prime minister said he believed the media practitioners are aware of their limitations and responsibilities.

"The media must be responsible, which is, to tell the truth, to provide true information. If the information is true, there will be no objections and constraints from the government on how the news is to be delivered," he said.

Ismail Sabri told this to reporters during a visit to Media Prima in Sri Pentas, here today. Earlier,  he was interviewed by Hot FM, 8 FM, and Molek FM radio channels.

He said the government’s guarantee of press freedom is reflected in its actions.

"If they go beyond what is allowed, the government will definitely reprimand them,  (but)  so far,  no media (organisation)  has been closed down or had its license revoked.

“This means there is freedom of the press,” he said.

Describing the role of mainstream media as very important in disseminating accurate information, the prime minister said the public should not only rely on social media for information.

"As we know,  inaccurate and distorted information is being disseminated, causing people to be confused.

“That's why it's important for the mainstream media, such as TV3 and the print media, to provide accurate information, not misleading ones," he said.

-- BERNAMA