The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned the recent Israeli attacks on the Palestinian territories, reflecting a sharp increase in violence that has resulted in serious civilian casualties.
In a statement released today, Wisma Putra said that Israeli forces targeted several Palestinian camps in Tal as-Sultan, Jabalia, Nuseirat and Gaza City in the past 24 hours, resulting in the death of nearly 200 civilians. He also highlighted the ongoing humanitarian crisis, noting that over the past 234 days, 35,984 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed and countless others injured.
The ministry said the Israeli regime’s relentless, ruthless and deliberate genocidal actions against the Palestinian people violated the International Court of Justice’s May 24 ruling, which demanded an immediate end to the Israeli military offensive in Rafah. “Israel’s continued defiance demonstrates its lack of respect for the highest court in the world and the principles it upholds.
“Inaction by the international community in the face of these atrocities will worsen the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza and undermine the international order, based on justice and international law,” he said. Wisma Putra said Malaysia urged the international community, including members of the Genocide Convention, to take action to implement the ICJ’s decision and continue to work for sustainable peace in the Middle East.
“Only through a strong commitment to a comprehensive peace agreement can we hope to end this violence and build a future where Palestinians can live in dignity, respect and security.” At least 40 civilians were killed and others were injured, many of them children and women, during the Israeli massacre of displaced tents in the northwest of the town of Rafah, south of the Strip from Gaza. , reported Palestine News Agency.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society confirmed that the people inside the tent were burned alive.The Government should repeal the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA) instead of extending its provisions to online media portals, an academic group has said.
Gayatry S Venkiteswaran, associate professor of communication at the University of Nottingham in Malaysia, said expanding the scope of the PPPA would strengthen state control over the media. He said that “constitutional scrutiny” under the PPPA would not only restrict the freedom of the media, but could also restrict design and creativity.
“We need to strengthen the rights and freedom of the media, without restricting them anymore. “Malaysia already has a highly regulated and politicized media environment. Any addition to the law or authority will increase the risks faced by media companies and news providers,” Gayatry told FMT. He cited the Sedition Act, the Penal Code, and the Communications and Multimedia Act as existing laws that restrict freedom of expression and media.
Earlier today, Malaysiakini reported that government officials are considering extending the PPPA to online advertising, citing a report by the Ministry of Industry and Public Consultation on the proposed changes and law. The ministry’s report says the publishing sector has evolved through technological change, creating greater “challenges” for the government to control publications with content not published online.
The Malaysian Media and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said they believe in this because it does not currently regulate media portals. However, this was opposed by news editors from Bernama, RTM, Makkal Osai, New Straits Times and Sinar Harian, who suggested that the government focus on setting up a media council.
Meanwhile, the Center for Independent Journalism (CIJ) said that the PPPA provision would maintain the existence of the media council. ICJ director Wathshlah G Naidu said the only thing the government needed to hold newsrooms to account was to prevent misinformation and defamation.
Wathshlah said there are many overlapping provisions in different laws which could be harmonized to ensure media freedom is not violated. “This will eliminate the arbitrary power of the minister, because the charges brought under the Penal Code will follow the strict criminal procedure and the decisions made by the judges under the existing justice system. more effective,” he said.
He also urged Putrajaya to go ahead with the establishment of an independent media council, saying this would promote transparency, accountability and professionalism, thereby making journalists accountable. question, without government interference.
