KUALA LUMPUR – The Information Department is streamlining procedures for the approval and issuance of media accreditation cards, including the validity period.
The move is being done following Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil’s request for the department to re-examine the validity period for the cards given to journalists, which had previously been for a two-year period for local media and one year for international media.
However, a report by Malaysiakini stated the department had begun issuing cards with different validity periods to journalists, with those from online news platforms given six months, while others had one year.
“(Fahmi) requested that (the Information Department) re-examine the validity period for the international media’s accreditation cards. This review includes the period of validity for online media.
“This coordination process will take some time. However, media practitioners can still renew their expired media cards,” the department said in a statement.
The process takes into consideration the recently updated Code of Ethics for Journalists by the Malaysian Press Institute, it added.
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ), meanwhile, has urged the government to be more transparent in its review of media card accreditations to ensure press freedom is maintained.
NUJ general secretary Teh Athira Yusof also urged the ministry to retain the two-year validity period, irrespective of the media outlet.
She added that the government should instead focus on establishing the media council and reviewing the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
Media accreditation cards issued by the Information Department are used as identification for journalists operating in the country, and are usually required when covering government-related events.
The issue of media accreditation cards resurfaced after the code of ethics’ relaunch, where Fahmi said it would be used as a basis to issue media cards by the Information Department. This has led to concerns by some media groups that the code would be used to restrict press freedom. – March 5, 2024