From Malaysiakini:

Top editors and media interest-groups have been invited to meet government officials tomorrow for a fresh round of discussions on the proposed - and much contested - National Media Council.

Source: Malaysiakini

Why a need for a council in the first place?

The Malaysian public is wise enough to determine for themselves what they would believe and what not to believe. I see this council as merely another layer for the government to use against independent voices that highlight the government's failings. This is something the current political-party-owned newspapers would never do. Open criticism in Malaysia is frown upon, deemed as a threat to the powers that be.

It seems a fallacy for the government to say that they encourage an atmosphere of openness while at the same time seeking to maintain an iron clad grip on all things.

In the end, all news is sugarcoated to hide the truth. Much like the way the North Korean government controls all news reports concerning its top officials. Everything seems fine and dandy with the government while millions starve and die in the country side.

This divide between the fantasy and reality is beginning to show itself in Malaysia. The government seems to be living in a world of fantasy, created by its own denial of their real state while at the same time, the citizens of Malaysia suffer in the real world.

This move to hide the truth to me is purely STUPID!