06/05/2025

TUESDAY | MAY 6, 2025

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New chapter for press freedom A S Malaysia joined the annual global celebration of World Press Freedom Day by the United Nations on May 3, the nation stood at a pivotal moment for COMMENT by Philip Gan Chee Keat

organisations to ensure fair treatment on digital platforms. This episode highlights a crucial issue that while AI is tasked with content moderation without adequate human oversight, press freedom can become collateral damage. As social media platforms increasingly rely on AI, the risk grows that algorithms – rather than editors or journalists – will determine which news reaches the public, raising questions about transparency, accountability and freedom of expression. Towards responsible AI integration In Malaysia’s digital-first media environment, where social media platforms serve both as news sources and misinformation vectors, responsible AI integration is more urgent than ever. Initiatives aimed at tackling misinformation and collaborations between the government and tech companies are important but enforcement remains inconsistent. The vision for the MMC Bill, focused on setting high standards and governance, must now include clear frameworks for AI use in journalism, ensuring it supports rather than undermines press freedom. On this World Press Freedom Day, Malaysia celebrated a milestone that honours its long-standing struggle for independent journalism. With the establishment of the MMC Bill and the growing focus on responsible AI integration, the nation moves towards a future where the press is both free and forward-thinking – informing, challenging and inspiring in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world. PhilipGan Chee Keat is programme director of the Bachelor of Mass Communication (Honours) and lecturer at the School of Media and Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management at Taylor’s University. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com decarbonisation by phasing out fossil fuel subsidies and ramping up investments in renewable infrastructure. Strengthening land-use governance to halt deforestation and protect biodiversity is equally critical, as is the mainstreaming of green finance mechanisms. Carbon pricing, climate bonds and greater support for SMEs to engage in sustainable innovation must become central pillars of our economic strategy moving forward. Citizens, too, have a role to play – by embracing green consumer habits, supporting ethical businesses and holding decision-makers accountable for sustainability pledges. Climate action must become a shared national ethic – not just a policy domain. Time to lead Malaysia is not without assets. We are blessed with biodiversity, regional influence and a dynamic, intelligent population. However, leadership in the green economy demands more than potential; it requires political courage, institutional alignment and sustained public engagement. This is no longer about choosing between the economy and the environment. It is about recognising that they are one and the same. The floods are real. The forests are vanishing. The costs of inaction are rising. But so too is our chance to lead, not just for Malaysia but for the region. In leading the green transition, Malaysia has the chance to honour not just our future but the land, water and people who shaped our past. Let us rise to meet that promise and build a legacy where economic prosperity walks hand in hand with ecological stewardship, and where Malaysia is not merely a fast-growing nation but a truly future-ready one. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

media freedom, ethical journalism and reform. This year’s theme, “Reporting in the Brave New World – The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Press Freedom and the Media”, resonates in a country where the struggle for press independence and ethical journalism has spanned generations, now reshaped by the disruptive power of artificial intelligence (AI). In February, the Malaysian Parliament passed the long-anticipated Malaysian Media Council (MMC) Bill. This landmark move comes 50 years after the idea was first proposed by Malaysia’s second prime minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, in 1974. The bill’s passing is seen as a historic moment for the local media landscape, marking decades of advocacy by journalists, media organisations and press freedom advocates. It promises a council that will protect press freedom, uphold ethical standards and provide an industry-led alternative to restrictive laws such as the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984. After multiple attempts, shifting political landscapes and recurring debates on the council’s structure and independence, the MMC Bill was finally passed this year. Challenges of AI in journalism As Malaysia celebrates this legislative breakthrough, it faces new challenges, such as the integration of AI in journalism. AI is rapidly transforming Malaysia’s media landscape, offering opportunities and challenges for press freedom and journalistic integrity – issues that the council should prioritise. WHEN the floodwaters reached the roofs of kampung houses in Kuala Krai, no one needed a scientific report to know that the climate crisis had arrived. As the global climate emergency deepens, nations are being called to act not just responsibly but decisively. Malaysia, with its relatively low unemployment rate of 3.3% as of early 2025, is well-positioned to lead but must now choose between business-as usual and bold transformation. The mounting frequency of floods, heatwaves and ecological degradation underscores one truth: we can no longer separate economic ambition from environmental responsibility. The 2022 monsoon floods that ravaged Kelantan and Terengganu were not isolated events. In 2024 alone, Malaysia experienced severe flooding that displaced over 122,000 people, with the worst impacts seen in Kelantan, Terengganu and Sarawak. In the past five years, more than 55 major flood incidences have struck our country, inflicting economic damages exceeding RM8 billion. Meanwhile, transboundary haze continues to suffocate our skies and extreme weather is pushing our agricultural yields and water security to precarious limits. Malaysia’s economy, still heavily reliant on carbon-intensive sectors such as oil, gas and monoculture agriculture, is at odds with its environmental aspirations. In 2023, carbon dioxide emissions stood at approximately 283.3 million metric tonnes, reflecting a 3.27% rise from the previous year and positioning Malaysia among Asean’s highest per capita emitters. COMMENT by Suzianah Nhazzla

The MMC Bill must include clear frameworks for AI use in journalism, ensuring it supports rather than undermines press freedom. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN

must lead decisively. A stark reminder of these risks came just days before the MMC Bill was passed. A popular social media platform’s AI moderation system mistakenly blocked the accounts of several Malaysian news organisations after they reported on a high-profile sexual assault case. The AI flagged the content as violating community standards and failed to distinguish between responsible journalism and harmful material, resulting in legitimate news outlets being deplatformed. This incident raised significant concerns within the media sector. It highlighted the challenge of AI moderation, where automated systems struggle to differentiate between responsible media reporting and other types of content. There is a need for platforms to refine their moderation mechanisms and consider a differentiated status for verified media climate catastrophes we are already facing. Nature-based interventions, such as mangrove rehabilitation, urban greening and sustainable drainage systems, can reduce disaster risk while simultaneously creating new employment streams in eco-tourism, conservation and environmental monitoring. In our urban centres, reimagining infrastructure with green building standards, solar retrofitting and cooler urban planning is critical – not just for comfort but for survival in an age of climate extremes. Governance, finance and will to act Malaysia’s institutional progress in green finance, led by Bank Negara’s climate stress tests and ESG reporting, deserves recognition. However, this progress must move beyond frameworks. Green bonds, carbon markets and sustainability-linked tax incentives must become the norm – not the niche. Equally critical is policy coherence. Siloed governance continues to stall momentum. A National Green Economy Roadmap, led by a central inter-ministerial task force under the Prime Minister’s Office, could align efforts across federal, state and local governments. As environmental advisor Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood has emphasised, Malaysia’s climate challenges are immediate and pressing, necessitating a transformation of our economic model to prioritise sustainability and resilience. Path forward To unlock the green economy’s potential, Malaysia must urgently adopt a national green economy blueprint that sets clear, cross-sectoral targets and timelines. Investment in green skills, particularly among youths and rural communities, should be prioritised, ensuring inclusivity in the transition. At the same time, Malaysia must accelerate

AI technologies are now embedded in newsrooms, powering automated news writing, AI-generated news anchors, real-time transcription, personalised content delivery and multilingual capabilities. These innovations promise greater newsroom efficiency and powerful tools for combating misinformation. However, the rapid adoption of AI also introduces complex challenges such as job displacement, algorithmic bias, data privacy and intellectual property rights. Additionally, concerns over AI “hallucinations” – where generative AI produces plausible-sounding but misleading information – are growing. Ironically, while AI has shown promise in addressing misinformation, it risks undermining trust if not governed responsibly. This dual-edged nature of AI underscores the urgent need for robust ethical guidelines and regulatory oversight – an area where the council Between 2001 and 2023, Malaysia lost about 9.23 million hectares of tree cover – a staggering 31% reduction in forest cover since the start of the millennium. These are not just environmental statistics; they are signals of a system in need of redesign. What is a green economy? A green economy prioritises low-carbon growth, resource efficiency and social inclusivity. It is not a utopian vision; it is a pragmatic framework for national resilience. It seeks to align economic progress with environmental sustainability, ensuring prosperity today does not compromise tomorrow’s survival. For Malaysia, this pivot is particularly timely. The country’s continued dependence on resource-heavy sectors such as oil and gas, logging and unsustainable agriculture places it at odds with climate goals. Yet, the green economy offers a bridge, a way to preserve economic dynamism while reducing ecological risk. Beyond disaster risk reduction, a green economy is inherently aligned with environmental conservation. By reducing pressure on natural ecosystems, it allows for large scale reforestation efforts, supports the recovery of degraded habitats and helps preserve biodiversity. Policies that promote renewable energy, sustainable land use and responsible tourism directly contribute to the protection of forests and the survival of endangered species. In Malaysia, this approach can revitalise vital ecosystems – from the rainforests of Sabah and Sarawak to the mangrove belts of Selangor – ensuring that wildlife corridors are restored and that human development no longer comes at the cost of nature. Redesigning for climate resilience The green economy also offers solutions to the

Turning green into gold: Seizing Malaysia’s sustainable advantage