During Tun Mahathir’s first premiership, newspapers and their editors-in-chief used to receive warning letters or reminders, and were at times even “invited” to coffee by the home ministry.

Although this was not an everyday practice, editors-in-chief who decided the daily front-page headlines were in essence constantly “walking on thin ice”!

They had to be extremely cautious when handling sensitive news topics to avoid being alleged of inciting racial or religious sentiment that could mean negative implications for their respective publications.

Thus far, the six swords that hang over editors-in-chief’s heads are: Sedition Act 1948, Defamation Act 1957, Internal Security Act 1960, Official Secrets Act 1972, Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984, and Anti-Fake News Act 2018.

Throughout the country’s publishing history, a newspaper could have its publishing licence revoked, its editor-in-chief ejected and journalists detained under the infamous ISA in more severe cases, in addition to warnings and “reminders”.

Because of that, media organisations have long advocated the establishment of a media council to avert the home ministry’s strict scrutiny and the Printing and Publications Act 1984 through self-censorship.

I was fortunate to have taken part in the discussions on behalf of Sin Chew Daily during the early years, learning from my predecessors and witnessing their insistence on press freedom.

Nonetheless, owing to disagreement over funding issues and whether government representatives should participate, the initiative was sadly dropped.

After Pakatan Harapan first came to power, it vigorously promoted the media council and had it implemented after it was returned for a second term.

The situation has changed today. Although Malaysia’s editors-in-chief still have the six swords hanging over their heads, I have to admit that we are enjoying relatively more press freedom today than in the past, and are no longer summoned or served warnings as much for the stories they have published!

Meanwhile, the local media landscape has experienced a dramatic transformation.

Competition is understandably stiffer and more complex, especially when it comes to manpower and financial resources. All media organisations are struggling to survive.

As the president of the Editors’ Association of Chinese Medium of Malaysia, I hope the establishment of the media council will bring greater freedom to Malaysia’s media industry, allowing media organisations to serve their readers with professionalism while helping to shape a more positive society.

In view of this, I would like to call upon the government to remove relevant provisions in the afore-mentioned laws, in particular the Printing Presses and Publications Act, that will invariably hamper the healthy growth of the media industry – to minimise the risks to be borne by media organisations which professionally deliver truthful news to the reading public.

Such laws should instead be targeting online rumour-mongers who fan public sentiment, disseminate lies, and tamper images and videos to misguide the public, creating tremendous havoc in so doing.

The last thing we want is a seventh sword dangling precariously over editors-in-chief’s heads.

In our contemporary world inundated with fake news and misinformation, society needs more than ever news media that remain faithful to their journalistic principles and professionalism.

And we the conscientious media need affirmative support from the government and all segments of society.

The government should accord the media a greater degree of freedom to battle the ubiquitous misinformation, while businesses and the reading public can show their support through newspaper or e-paper subscription, joining our paid membership, or advertising with us in a bid to bolster the continued growth of the media industry.

Traditional media such as newspapers are different from social media platforms like Facebook. We are shouldering an irrevocable social obligation, and we take full responsibility for the content we deliver.

On the contrary, most social platforms are only interested in profitability and are reluctant to bear any social responsibility.

This is the reality the authorities must come to terms with. The government must throw its unwavering support behind traditional media!

When Najib was prime minister, he abolished the annual renewal of publishing licences to the dismay of Malaysians.

The home ministry is in the midst of amending the Printing Presses and Publications Act, exploring measures to reinstate the ruling for newspapers to have their permits renewed on a regular basis.

The ministry has started compiling public views, including exploring issues such as the requirement for news websites to have publishing permits.

The National Union Of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia (NUJM), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and Gerakan Media Merdeka (GERAMM) have recently issued a joint statement urging the home ministry to explain the proposed amendments to the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

The statement said: “According to the information obtained, the amendments proposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs include restoring the requirement to renew publishing licences every three years and expanding the definition of ‘publications’ to include digital and electronic content. Additionally, the amendments are said to expand the scope of penalties while upping the penalties.”

As media practitioners, we are delighted to see the removal of any provision impeding the development of the media industry.

Any regressive decision, though, will most positively doom the country’s media industry, rendering the media council a futile pipe dream.

The last thing we want is a seventh sword dangling precariously over editors-in-chief’s heads.