PUTRAJAYA: Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said today the government would review the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 to prevent writing, broadcasting and publishing from being overly restricted by guidelines.
Zahid, who is also the home minister, said this was necessary as the alternative media had almost monopolised the industry.
“The home ministry strives to give greater freedom to all forms of writing, publishing and broadcasting so that they are not overly restricted by guidelines,” he said at a talk with editors-in-chief and holders of publishing permits.
He said the guidelines of the act might have been appropriate in the past but had to be modified without compromising journalism ethics.
The Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 was last amended in 2012.
According to Zahid, the ministry issued three warning letters, 14 letters of reprimand, 44 letters of advice and four show-cause letters to the media and printers last year.