MEDIA SYSTEM IN MALAYSIA

The State of Media Control in Malaysia

Media control in Malaysia is almost as old as the existence of mass media in the country. Malaysia falls under the category of democracy variously called "quasi-democracy", "authoritarian-democracy", or "Asian democracy". The government is firmly controlled by the ruling coalition, Barisan National (National Front), for half a century. The ruling party has over the years created and reinforced numerous mechanisms to ensure an obedient media that will not jeopardize the status quo. Among the most oppressing legislations of the media includes The Sedition Act, The Printing Presses and Publication Act, The Multimedia and Communication Act, and The Internal Security Act.

History of Media Control in Malaysia

The first newspaper to be published in the then Malaya, is widely believed to be the English language Government Gazette, later called the Prince of Wales Island Gazette first published in 1806 Interestingly, the owner of PWIG, a commercial paper aimed at the colonialists who were involved in trading and commerce, actually requested the Governor of the Strait Settlements at the time to censor the paper.

 Lent (1978) quotes the words of a Malay editor who said it is not censorship when the Prime Minister asks us to write something. He lets us write it the way we want. Were not being guided or censored by government; we are cooperating

Direct Control: Acts and Ordinances

contentious internet journalism in Malaysia [and Singapore] is being practiced under the nose of the authority. The Printing Presses and Publication Act (PPPA) is a law that governs the printing press in Malaysia - passed in 1984. It provided the Home Affairs Minister, the power to grant or withdraw a printing license or a publishing permit the act also requires foreign publication sold in the country to pay a large deposit which would be forfeited if the publishers did not appear in court to face charges of publishing materials prejudiced to the national interest.

 The Broadcasting Act of 1988 encompasses all manner of broadcasting. The media continues to air only materials that are not likely to challenge the status quo, that is, more fashion, traveling and pseudo-reality shows. The general public continues to be excluded from any meaningful debate concerning the government and the administration.

Indirect Control: Privatization, SelfCensorship, and Power of Incumbency

Control comes in various forms and methods even in the form of a private television channel Malaysia was among the early Asian nations to embrace the global wave of media privatization "partly basing on the belief that privatization is the countrys short cut to achieving industrialized nation status and at least in part as an indirect control mechanism to pull the audience away from watching video content which the government has no control over. The move appears to have worked, in the following year after the introduction of TV3, rental figures of video cassettes dropped dramatically. People switched to the free-to-air programs readily available on television and the government had the final say in what was being aired.

Control through Ownership

Ownership is obviously an effective way to assert control over any entity including media establishment. The Malaysian media is controlled by the government through a series of enactments and laws such as : the Printing Presses and Publication Act, The Broadcasting Act of 1988 and its successor, Multimedia and Communication Act(CMA) 1998 (amended 2002), The Sedition Act, and Official Secret Act, as well as the control through ownership of the media itself.