PUTRAJAYA (May 3): Three media non-governmental organisations (NGOs) — the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ), Gerakan Media Merdeka and National Union of Journalists (NUJ) Peninsular Malaysia — today handed over a memorandum to Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, calling for the government to continue to ensure freedom of the press.

NUJ president Farah Marshita Abdul Patah said the memorandum was handed over in conjunction with World Press Freedom Day, which is celebrated on May 3.

"We hope the government promotes press freedom and creates an environment that allows the media to function freely," she said when met after the handover here today.

Farah Marshita said among the proposals put forward in the memorandum is the establishment of the Dana Daya Tahan Media (media resilience fund), Malaysian Media Council and speeding up the waiting process of media practitioners to receive their Covid-19 vaccine shots.

The memorandum was handed over to Syed Khairil Imran Said Halim, who is a special officer to KKMM secretary-general (sec-gen) Datuk Seri Mohammad Mentek.

When contacted, Syed Khairil said the memorandum will be handed over to the sec-gen, who will then hand it over to Saifuddin.

Meanwhile, CIJ executive-director Wathshlah G Naidu said the role of media practitioners is currently increasingly challenging and critical in conveying accurate information on every government policy, and the media should also be given the freedom to convey information in critique form.