Malaysia has been chosen by the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to host the proposed International Islamic Journalism Centre (IIJC) which is aimed at correcting the bias view of the western media towards news that come from OIC countries, according to Bernama. Deputy Minister of Information Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said Malaysia would prepare a working paper for the establishment of the centre which is to be funded by the OIC Secretariat. Malaysia was chosen by the OIC Ministers of Information Conference to host the centre based on its experience and success in handling problems with the foreign media, he said at a news conference at Angkasapuri here. The news conference was called by Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin to announce the Non-Aligned Movement's (NAM) agreement to maintain the NAM News Network (NNN) in Malaysia. Ahmad Zahid, who attended the OIC Ministers of Information Conference in Jeddah on Sept 9 to 14, said Malaysia's success in running the NNN in the past six months was also a reason for OIC to allow the IIJC to be set up here. IIJC will train journalists from OIC countries, organise exchange programmes between their journalists and act as a centre to promote dialogue on current issues affecting OIC countries.
