Local media card holders to get 50pct discount on AirAsia to Asean countries

Local media practitioners who hold the Information Department media accreditation card will enjoy a one-off 50 percent discount on return airfares via AirAsia to 57 destinations in Asean.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said it was an initiative resulting from strategic collaboration between the Communications Ministry and low-cost airline AirAsia in conjunction with Malaysia's Asean 2025 Chairmanship.
He said booking will open until...

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Borneo Post

34 minutes ago

• Borneo Post

Pontianak-Kuching direct flights may resume soon, says Abdul Karim

(From left) Sherrina, Abdul Karim, Ting and Sharzede in a press conference at the festival. – Photo by Roystein Emmor SANTUBONG (June 21): Direct flights between Pontianak and Kuching may soon resume, following the Indonesian government's decision to reopen its airspace for the route. Sarawak Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, confirmed the development during a press conference today, saying Indonesia has now agreed to open up its skies for the Pontianak-Kuching sector. 'I'm very happy. It has been announced on that side that they are opening up their skies from Pontianak. 'You see, Indonesia, they have got their own way. The decree must come from the President. I'm not putting the blame on the previous President because we've been asking and asking, please start again the Pontianak-Kuching flight. But it was not given. 'And recently, I was made to understand that they are opening up their skies. So, it's up to the airlines to start operating again. So, probably there are a few that might be looking into it now because I know that sector is a very good sector. It does not benefit Sarawak only. It does not benefit Malaysia only. It also benefits the other side,' he said. Abdul Karim noted that reinstating the route would offer a major convenience for Sarawakians. 'A lot of Sarawakians now, instead of driving four, five hours to Pontianak, they might as well just fly half an hour. And that will definitely benefit the industry, the tourism industry in Pontianak,' he said. When asked whether the Sarawak government would encourage low-cost carriers like AirAsia to take up the route, Abdul Karim confirmed that discussions are ongoing. 'Of course, we will be. Not just AirAsia. Even airlines from Indonesia. Indonesia has got lots of budget airlines. If they are willing to participate in that, of course, we are very, very happy,' he said. He also highlighted growing demand along the Sarawak–Indonesia air corridor. 'You can see now that the flight from Kuching to Jakarta used to be once a day. Now, it's already twice a day. And the loading is very high. Either way. So, there's big potential there,' he said. Also present were State Deputy Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Datuk Sebastian Ting; the ministry's permanent secretary Datu Sherrina Husaini; and Sarawak Tourism Board CEO Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor. Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah direct flights Kuching Pontianak

Sinar Daily

a day ago

• Sinar Daily

Malaysian Media Council is finally here - but is it too late?

KUALA LUMPUR - After decades of discussion, the Malaysian Media Council (MMC) is finally a reality. It promises to usher in a new era of transparency and accountability in the country's media landscape through self-regulation with little interference from the government. The newly established Malaysian Media Council (MMC) faces the challenge of adapting to a drastically changed media environment, where social media and AI now dominate news consumption, alongside the ongoing quest for ethical standards and press freedom. - Bernama file photo But the establishment of the MMC in 2025 comes in an era where media and how the public consumes news have undergone drastic changes from when it was first mooted in 1973 by Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, Malaysia's second prime minister. Which brings up the question: was it approved only to become obsolete? Malaysians today scroll through TikTok and Instagram Reels more than they tune in to the nightly TV news broadcasts. Few read newspapers anymore. Advertisements, which used to be the news media's primary source of income, are now on web browsers and social media, and most people refuse to pay for news that is behind a paywall. Content is produced and distributed by influencers, artificial intelligence (AI) and anonymous accounts, rather than credentialed reporters with their code of ethics and laws governing libel and slander. LONG TIME COMING The MMC has had a long gestation. Since 1973, the idea came and went multiple times but was never brought to fruition until now. The council was formally established following the passage of the Malaysian Media Council Bill 2024 by the Dewan Rakyat on Feb 26. The law was gazetted on June 13. The Malaysian Media Council Act 2025 came into effect last Saturday (June 14), coinciding with this year's HAWANA (National Journalists Day) 2025 celebration here. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, who was present at the HAWANA event, announced the names of the 12 founding board members of MMC. According to the Act, the MMC will have a 21-member board comprising, among others, representatives from media companies, civil society and government agencies, as well as media practitioners. It is tasked with upholding ethical standards, resolving complaints and improving the welfare of media workers, including freelancers and digital journalists. Media experts and interested parties have lauded the MMC as a positive move to safeguard the freedom of the press. The 2020 MMC pro tem report includes objectives such as "(promoting) the development of good journalism, while creating a recourse for public accountability, independent of the government of the day'. It may also recommend reforms to laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) and the Official Secrets Act (OSA) as critics have cited these laws as obstacles to good investigative journalism in the country. At the HAWANA forum last Saturday, members of the panel discussion on 'Malaysian Media Council: Regulator or Media Protector?' told the audience that the MMC would support the passage of new legislation, such as the Freedom of Information Act (FOI). "We've called for a Freedom of Information Act so that journalists can petition the government to reveal information,' Premesh Chandran, former chairman of the MMC pro tem committee, told Bernama later. Calls to reform or repeal laws such as PPPA and OSA have intensified alongside the MMC's launch. During the forum, Wathshlah G. Naidu, executive director of the Centre for Independent Journalism, said the original MMC pro tem committee had proposed repealing the PPPA but "those sections were the first to be negotiated out' of the final MMC Bill. Currently, only Selangor and Penang have state-level FOI enactments, which are limited in reach. At the federal level, progress on the drafting of a FOI Act has been slow. THE GROUND HAS SHIFTED "You can see that as every new technology has appeared, media has shifted,' Premesh, who is also co-founder of 'Malaysiakini' and founding member of MMC, said at the HAWANA Forum. "So what's ahead? The new technology that's coming in today is AI. And that, again, is going to reconfigure the entire media space. And with that, also the business model of media.' Indeed, AI and social media are already reshaping how Malaysians get their news. While legacy outlets still do the heavy lifting of original reporting, content often finds its audience through algorithmic recommendation, viral resharing or AI-driven summaries. The MMC has no jurisdiction over social media platforms as they come within the purview of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). A recent study by the Reuters Institute found that social media and video platforms are the main source of news in the United States with more than half (54 percent) surveyed saying they get news from Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and YouTube. TV news got 50 percent of respondents while news portals and apps got 48 percent. The survey also found that seven percent of Americans, 12 percent under the age of 35, use AI platforms for news. Experts expect the number to grow in the years to come. While the HAWANA forum panelists stated their support for AI and their commitment to integrating it into the newsroom, the MMC has yet to articulate a strategy for engaging with them as a news source. What they stressed was the importance of educating and creating awareness among the masses on the best way to consume media and how to discern misinformation from credible news. Naidu pointed out during the same forum that building trust with the public was key. "The MMC must not just be insular. It must build public trust and educate people to make informed choices - because the media alone can't compete with echo chambers and divisive content spreading through platforms.' Monetisation remains the biggest challenge to producing good journalism, however. Beyond ethics and regulation, the media industry is grappling with financial strain. Advertisement revenue has migrated to platforms like Google and TikTok. Local outlets face shrinking newsrooms, low pay and an exodus of talent to better-paying sectors. Some freelance journalists are forced to self-publish through Substack or TikTok just to stay visible. While countries like Australia have introduced revenue-sharing laws for platforms that profit from journalistic content, Malaysia has not followed suit. DEFINING JOURNALISM A major challenge for the MMC will be defining who counts as a journalist and whether they fall under MMC's jurisdiction. "Citizen journalists are not journalists,' said Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Murad Merican, media scholar at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation at International Islamic University Malaysia. 'They are the many people who have phones and cameras who report only (the scene of a news incident). What verifies the news or gives credibility to the content is the reporter, the newsrooms, the news reporter, the news organisation, the media organisation.' Still, others believe there must be room for freelancers and digital-first journalists - which include fresh graduates and trained professionals laid off by traditional media. Premesh said anyone willing to follow the standards and code of conduct that the MMC would be setting, be they freelancers or legacy media, would be recognised as journalists. He added the MMC could provide a form of voluntary certification for independent media outlets and freelance journalists who commit to its ethical guidelines. But, as Premesh noted, this requires public awareness and platform cooperation. "How do we manage or improve distribution so people are aware that this is coming from a credited source versus an uncredited source. And that is definitely something that the media council can play a role in,' he said. A GOOD START All in all, the MMC is a positive move, even if the media landscape has changed from when Tun Razak first suggested it. Industry stakeholders across the board have welcomed the MMC as a critical step forward. "Certainly, the HAWANA 2025 stage has become a historic moment for us, the media fraternity, to celebrate with smiles of joy as the dream of seeing this council finally becomes a reality,' said 'Utusan Borneo Sabah' editor-in-chief Datuk Lichong Angkui, as reported by Bernama. He expressed hope that the council would not just be a regulator but a strong, independent protector of media freedom in Malaysia. Similar hopes were echoed by Tawau Journalists and Media Practitioners Association (Pewarta) deputy chairman Tamrin Jamil, who called the MMC "a crucial support system' and a sign of the government's commitment to institutional reform. But hopes must now be matched with action to address the impact of emerging technologies, including digital media and Generative AI, and develop guidelines for Malaysian media practitioners. In short, the MMC's potential is undeniable - it can build trust, protect journalists and create a unified ethical baseline in a fragmented industry, including finding a way to monetise content for traditional media, accrediting not just legacy outlets but credible independent voices, collaborating across regulatory bodies and with civil society watchdogs, and actively educating the public about how to distinguish journalism from 'noise'. "The day the media council is born, our problems are not going to be solved,' said Premesh. "Right? Nothing was built in a day. It's how we use the opportunity provided to create what we want (in order) to get there.' - BERNAMA

The Star

a day ago

• The Star

‘Do not neglect our well-being'

KUALA LUMPUR: As women shoulder growing responsibilities in the workplace and at home, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is calling for focus on mental health and work-life balance to avoid burnout. Speaking at the Women Economic Forum (WEF) Asean 2025, the Prime Minister's wife and former deputy prime minister stressed that true progress means not just economic empowerment, but also shared family duties and emotional well-being – areas often overlooked in the push for gender equality. 'Despite our hectic work schedules, we must not neglect our well-being, including mental health, in the pursuit of work-life balance. 'Achieving this balance involves dedication to personal growth and development to enhance professional skills while nurturing spiritual and emotional well-being,' she said in her opening speech at the event yesterday, which was attended by women leaders, entrepreneurs and policymakers from across the region. Dr Wan Azizah, who is the Bandar Tun Razak MP, noted that work-life balance, however, remains a challenge for working parents who lack the extra support to afford living costs, manage careers and maintain good parenting. 'Yes, we want more women to contribute to the economy, yet we must also remind ourselves that caring for the family is a shared responsibility. 'Both parents should actively participate in the emotional, physical and logistical aspects of raising children and sharing household duties,' she said, adding that the balance may not always be equal but should be based on mutual understanding and tolerance. Speaking from her experience, Dr Wan Azizah called on parents not to take for granted the responsibility of taking care of our families. 'This responsibility extends beyond the visible and direct expenses. Unpaid care work, household management and emotional support have substantial economic value, but they are not quantifiable. 'Whether we realise it or not, the 'profits' can only be 'sown' in perhaps 20 years' time,' she said. In her address, Dr Wan Azizah said the concept of the 'SHEconomy' is a testament to the growing influence of women in shaping economic narratives. She said the forum's theme, 'Women Leaders Beyond Borders: Shaping the Future of Asean SHEconomy', resonated deeply with her vision of leadership, inclusivity and cross-border collaboration. 'I believe this forum can highlight women's roles in advancing technology, sustainability, trade, and governance,' she said, expressing her hope that the dialogues will translate into actionable commitments and partnerships. 'Let us commit ourselves wholeheartedly to building a world where gender ceases to be a barrier to success and where every woman has the opportunity to shine,' she added. Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong, who was at the event, called for urgent measures to enhance female participation in Malaysia's economy. He said there is a need for equal opportunities for women across all aspects of life, noting a discrepancy between women's educational attainment and their workforce participation. 'Although 65% of our public university students are women, the female labour participation rate lags at 56%, compared to 82.9% for men. This is a challenge we must overcome for Malaysia to thrive,' he said. Despite successes like women holding 58% of civil service jobs and 42% of decision-making positions, Liew identified barriers such as reliance on cheap foreign labour and inadequate childcare services. 'We need to change this. By moving our economy up the value chain, we can attract more skilled women into the formal labour market,' he said. The opening ceremony also saw several notable awards presented to deserving leaders and entrepreneurs. Among the awards presented were the Women of the Decade, Leaders of the Decade, Iconic Women Creating a Better World for All, and Exceptional Women of Excellence. Taking place until June 21, the three-day WEF Asean 2025 is organised by Yayasan Bina Kesejahteraan with the support of the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry. The forum focuses on efforts to create a cross-border economic ecosystem, emphasising dignity, inclusivity and data-driven policies, with gender equality as a core principle. Fireside chats, plenary sessions, workshops, roundtable meetings and WEF Awards will take place throughout the days before culminating in a closing ceremony tomorrow.