Kuala Lumpur: The government has no plans to repeal the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984, says communications and digital minister Fahmi Fadzil.
He said the repeal of the law has not been discussed by the unity government and that it was instead focused on the formation of an independent media council.
“What we want is the media to be self-regulated, through this council,” he said when asked about the government’s plans to repeal draconian laws and ways to police hate speech and fake news at a forum here today.
Fahmi said the government would only play a “limited role” in the council, with a bill on its formation being looked at by the attorney-general.
Previously, home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the PPPA and the Sedition Act 1948 were still needed to preserve public peace and security.
Civil society organisations and human rights groups have said both Acts are often used to curtail freedom of expression rather than preserving public security and peace.
Fahmi also said he was concerned about the sustainability of media companies and the livelihood of media personnel in the country.
In the past seven years, 2,200 media workers have lost their jobs, he said.
