PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry has shot down talks that it wants to amend the Printing Presses and Publications Act to include online portals as means to control them.
Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said there was no such thing as widely speculated.
"We have no intention to control the online media. That is not within our radar. We do not have any plans to amend provisions to include them.
"But, we are discussing amending several provisions related to flouting of rules in the Act and its compounds to give it more bite," he said at the ministry headquarters, here, today.
He said the ministry was not against the establishment of the Media Council, which bill is expected to be tabled in Parliament in June.
He said this amid talks that the ministry was objecting to its set up, prompting senior-level editors to contact him to seek clarification yesterday.
"I was shocked when my media friends, even high ranking editors, called me to ask if the ministry opposed the forming of the council.
"I have also checked with my secretary-general Datuk Ruji Ui to ask if there were any issues.
"But, there is no such thing. We have given our ministerial comments on the setting up of the media council.
"We have no objections. However, we want to see if there would be overlap in terms of enforcement because the ministry has its own provisions and the council will have theirs.
"So we will find ways to harmonise it," he added.