Published: Wednesday January 26, 2011 MYT 3:52:00 PM
Updated: Wednesday January 26, 2011 MYT 6:02:43 PM
Control over online media "a step backwards": NUJ
PETALING JAYA: The Government's sudden move to amend the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA) to bring online media under its scrutiny is "a step backwards", National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Malaysia president Hata Wahari said Wednesday.
He said this would turn Malaysia into an "outdated" country in terms of free flow of information."
"The NUJ has (long demanded) that the Home Ministry amend the Act to provide print publications the space to operate with more freedom, and to eliminate the need to renew the printing and publishing permits every year," he said in a statement.
Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) executive officer Masjaliza Hamzah said the amendment was unnecessary as there were enough laws to govern the media already.
"It is another form of control. It is definitely regressive and a political move because many analysts attributed the results of the previous general election to the role of the Internet," she said.
She said laws such as the Defamation Act were sufficient to nab anyone who published false information online.
Meanwhile, responding to the proposed amendment, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin tweeted: "Just saw news on proposed amendment to Printing Presses & Publications Act to include online content. Personally, I think it's ridiculous."
On Tuesday, Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam was quoted saying that the ministry was looking to amend the law to plug loopholes in it.
He said among other things, the ministry was looking at the definition of "publication" and whether it should include Internet content, blogs or Facebook to expand the Act due to the changing landscape of the digital era.
He added that the proposed amendments would be tabled in Parliament by March.
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