A guide book on media laws is needed as reference for netizens who want to upload their articles onto the cyber world.

Former legal practitioner Prof Salleh Buang said the guide book was needed to prevent netizens with no background or formal education as journalists or media practices, from publishing false writings.

"The Attorney-General's Chambers or relevant ministry should play a role in publishing a collection of the laws on the provisions related to the media in a form that is easily understood so that it can be a reference to this group," he told reporters after being part of a panel of speakers at the Malaysian Press Institute (MPI)-Bank Simpanan Nasional National Media Forum 2015 here today.

Salleh, who was also a former Visiting Professor at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, said the book could be reference material, together with the book on Ethics of Journalism published by MPI for 'citizen journalists' in the social media or the increasing number of bloggers who wanted to share information and their opinions on the cyber world.

"These 'citizen journalists' or 'journalists born yesterday' may not realise that they are subject to media laws in Malaysia, and they upload or write wrong information which can be seditious, jeopardise public order, touch on religious sensitivities and discredit the reputation of a person or organisation in their articles.

"The guide book can provide information on what 'can' or 'cannot' be published under existing laws," he said.

He added that the relevant ministries and agencies should also hold more awareness programmes for these 'citizen journalists' so that they publish articles which were more responsible and ethical.

Meanwhile, editorial executive advisor of the Karangkraf Media Group, Datuk Jalil Ali said there should be coordination of laws concerning print and online media practitioners.

This, he stressed, would prevent internet media practitioners who were not answerable to the laws and rules of print media from freely spreading (false) information.

"Internet media practitioners seem to be free to put up news which sometimes contained information which could cause tensions between people.

"It is different with the print media which is subject to (legal) action if they produced such news, there should be coordination to stop this unfairness," said Jalil.

He urged the Communication and Multimedia Communication (MCMC) to be more pro-active in taking action against cyber media, blogs and netizens who spread irresponsible news.

At the same time, he said, laws relating to media publications should also be amended or abolished as they were seen as no longer relevant to current times.

"For instance, the Defamation Act 1957 is seen as obsolete and the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 must be amended or improved to be more beneficial to media practitioners in the country."