Media Institute for Southern Africa (Misa) Malawi chapter has reiterated the need for Members of Parliament to discuss the Access to Information (ATI) bill.
Misa Malawi Chairperson Thom Khanje said the bill needs to be tabled but should not be passed so that the Media and Communications Committee of Parliament should scrutinise it first.
”The bill need to be tabled but not approved, it should be referred to the media committee of Parliament for an independent review,” said Khanje.
He added that Parliament is in a better position to look at the bill independently and with a sober point of view.
Khanje further said that taking the bill to the Parliamentary committee will allow the legislation to be reviewed independently since the committee will want to hear from the media and other stakeholders to find out if the bill is in the best interest of Malawians.
But recently minister of information Patricia Kaliati said the media should not have a say on what should be in the bill because the legislation does not only concern the media but every Malawian.
She added that if the media need their specific bill they must draft it.
