MMC Pushes For Standardised Media Complaints System, Greater Industry Engagement

KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Media Council (MMC) is working to standardise complaint management mechanisms across major media organisations to position itself as the primary platform for resolving disputes involving the industry.

MMC board member Datin Paduka Esther Ng said the council’s key performance indicator (KPI) is to ensure the MMC becomes the “go-to forum” for all forms of media-related complaints, amid the current fragmented complaint-handling landscape.

She said the existing complaint management process remains fragmented across different platforms and organisations, although cases involving specific media organisations may still be referred to the respective companies for internal handling. 

“So, right now, we are in the process of getting all media houses, especially the big ones like Star Media Group and Media Prima Bhd, to have their own complaints bureau set up.

“It is a massive exercise. Although we do have the set up, but it’s all our own style. We don’t streamline,” she told Bernama on the sidelines of the HAWANA 2026 Media Forum here today.

 Ng said standardisation is necessary to avoid confusion and ensure complainants clearly understand the complaint process.

Earlier, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching, in her speech, called for a greater role for the MMC and a more measured approach in handling media-related issues, while adding that disputes over reporting should be resolved through the council as the primary arbiter.

Commenting on Malaysia’s decline in the Reporters Without Borders Index this year, particularly over concerns involving the legislative and media environment, Ng stressed that press freedom must remain protected as the media serves as a reflection of society and a custodian of historical records.

“It’s very important that the press be given the leeway to do its job, because we are the custodian of records. We are here to record the people’s fears, the people’s aspirations, and if we do not protect that mirror, that mirror will be lost.

“That mirror doesn’t belong to the press alone. It belongs to the very people that we stand up for. So, I think we need to work together for this. The press can’t work alone,” she said.

Meanwhile, fellow MMC board member Ashwad Ismail described efforts to build trust between journalists, regulators and enforcement agencies as a long-term process that requires sustained engagement with industry stakeholders.

 “That is an ongoing long-haul effort. We are looking into its effectiveness. So, the most important thing is constant engagement between the MMC and media players, the media industry, as well as journalists,” he said.

He added that broader engagement beyond newsroom operations is crucial to strengthening the council’s effectiveness and credibility.

“… the closer we are at the MMC with media players and regulators - because the MMC is not just looking into one area - the greater the engagement with stakeholders, the better it will be, so that we can gain more trust from journalists, editors and media personnel,” he added.

The MMC, established in February last year, is an independent self-regulatory body aimed at upholding journalistic ethics, formulating a code of conduct and safeguarding the welfare of media practitioners.

The council is governed by a board comprising representatives from media organisations, practitioners and public interest groups, including academics and civil society, with provisions to ensure representation from Sabah and Sarawak as well as gender balance.

-- BERNAMA