Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo hopes the proposed media council - which aims to allow the media to self-regulate - will be set up by year-end.

"I have asked the drafting division to come up with a preliminary paper within two weeks from now after which a pro-tem committee consisting of members from the media will be set up to finalise the finer details of the bill," the minister said.

He said this following a meeting with stakeholders at the Attorney-General's Chambers today.

This was the first meeting involving publishers and government personnel on the proposed media council.

"We had a good discussion which lasted for almost two hours. We reached an understanding that the council should be set up by an act of Parliament and that a proposed bill be drafted focusing on five key areas for now," he said in a Facebook posting.

The five key areas are objectives and functions of the council, its constitution and membership, a code of conduct, dispute resolution methods and general provisions which include examining current laws which need to be repealed or amended when the council is established.