Media freedom crucial, but requires limits to protect national harmony, says PM Anwar

The Malaysian government will uphold media freedom while protecting national harmony, prime minister Anwar Ibrahim reportedly said. 

Speaking at the National Journalists' Day celebration with more than 1,000 local and international media practitioners present, the prime minister reportedly said that democracy requires a free media, which entails the space and freedom to express ideas, views and information. 

However, media freedom needs to be tied to the code of ethics, said Anwar in a statement released after the celebration. The code of ethics, according to Anwar, raises the rank and dignity of media practitioners. 

Don't miss: Fahmi Fadzil launches new Malaysia Code of Ethics for journalists, faces pushback

At the same time, media freedom needs to have limits too, said Anwar, adding that the media cannot be used by certain groups to divide and sow the seeds of enmity between races and religions that can destroy the country. 

In the same statement, Anwar explained that journalists today have a big challenge to carry out the role of spreading the truth in an era where truth is becoming more relative and confusing. 

This comes after Malaysia had reportedly dropped 34 places to 107th in the World Press Freedom Index in 2024.

In response, Anwar reportedly said that protecting religious minorities and harmony is more important than getting high marks on an international index. 

In addition, Anwar said that the Malaysian government is open to receiving criticism. However, it must not incite racial and religious hatred or hatred against royalty. 

The code of ethics for journalists was first launched in February this year. It marked the first time the journalism ethics manual had been reviewed after 35 years since its inception in 1989 by the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI). 

The revised code of ethics, according to communications minister Fahmi Fadzil, will lift the quality of journalism in Malaysia and increase the trust of the people in the media. 

Fahmi also called the new code of ethics an improvement over the previous version to keep up with the modern era of social media. 

Photo courtesy Anwar Ibrahim, Facebook 

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