Tan Sri Nallini Pathmanathan, a retired Federal Court judge, has been named chairperson of the Malaysian Media Council (MMM). The appointment was unanimously endorsed by MMM board members on May 26 and was announced today. Industry leaders and media professionals have hailed the decision as a significant step toward strengthening the nation's media ecosystem.
Malaysian Press Institute president Datuk Yong Soo Heong praised Nallini's selection, noting that her judicial background will fortify the council's credibility. Her standing outside political and commercial spheres, he said, positions her to ensure that MMM decisions reflect principles of fairness, transparency and public interest. This independence, he added, should reinforce public trust in media institutions and their democratic importance.
National Journalism Laureate Datuk A. Kadir Jasin connected the appointment to longstanding visions for the council's structure. He recalled advocating for independent leadership since proposals for the National Union of Newspaper Editors in the 1980s, and reiterated this position when helping establish the MMM framework in 2018 under then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. "Not only wanted the MMM to be independent, but also to be seen and trusted as independent," he underscored.
Malaysian Media Clubs Association president Mohamad Fauzi Ishak suggested the appointment signals opportunity for institutional reform. He flagged the need to strengthen the MMM Act with clearer legal authorities, enabling the council to address complaints that currently fall outside its remit. The media landscape's mounting complexities—misinformation, artificial intelligence advancement—require leadership capable of defending freedom while upholding accountability standards, he stressed.
Fauzi emphasised that the council must maintain its position as an impartial watchdog, insulated from vested interests, to sustain confidence among practitioners and the public alike. Nallini's background in law and her reputation for integrity, he concluded, position her to navigate these evolving challenges while preserving the media's role as a cornerstone of democratic discourse.
