THE unity government said it is committed to supporting the right to freedom of expression, especially by the media in news reporting, in line with the Malaysia ​​Madani concept.

Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching, in a post on Facebook today, reiterated the government’s commitment and said that this was reflected in the World Media Freedom Index 2022 released by Reporters Without Borders (RFS).

“It can be seen that there is better achievement under the present government administration, with Malaysia having jumped six places to 113 with 51.55 points, compared with the previous year, when it was placed at 119 (60.53 points),” she said.

Malaysia also ranked the highest among Asean countries, ahead of Thailand (115), Indonesia (117), Singapore (139), Cambodia (142), Brunei (144), Philippines (147), Laos (161), Vietnam (174) and Myanmar (176).

Teo said she attended a meeting on the proposal for the establishment of the Malaysian Media Council that was mooted in 2018 and a bill for that is being drafted.

She also conveyed greetings to media practitioners in the country in conjunction with World Media Freedom Day for their contributions to delivering accurate, fast and up-to-date news reports. – Bernama, May 3, 2023.