The Communications and Digital Ministry plans to draft a bill related to the return of advertising expenditure for the survival of media organisations in this country, said its Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
Speaking at the monthly assembly of the KKD here today, Fahmi said the drafting of the bill was important because he did not want to see more media practitioners lose their jobs or undertake a voluntary separation scheme (VSS). Recently, one of the largest media company in Malaysia, Astro offered VSS to its staff, citing a very challenging environment.
He said the government also intends to hold a meeting with giant companies such as Google, Meta, and Tik Tok to discuss the matter because the situation is partly contributed by advertising expenditure being taken out of the country by them. We see a huge impact on media organisations. Many workers have been laid off and this is something that I believe the government cannot take lightly.
“So I’m planning to work on the drafting of a specific bill on the return of advertising expenditure to media organisations in Malaysia,” he said.
Fahmi also wants the bill for the establishment of the Malaysian Media Council to be finalised no later than March next year so that it can be tabled in Parliament for approval.
