Gov't to assess steps to strengthen compliance on social media platforms, says Fahmi

The Communications and Digital Ministry is currently assessing the necessary steps to strengthen compliance with the law on social media platforms.

The minister, Fahmi Fadzil, stated that this assessment is in response to a statement from the Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR) on Tuesday (Oct 10), which called for social media platforms to be held accountable for hate speech and divisive content.

Fadzil also mentioned that engagement sessions have been conducted with major social media platforms and operators such as TikTok, Telegram, Meta, and X to ensure better compliance.

“We hope to be able to make a substantial and substantive announcement soon. I have also met with APHR and raised this issue,” Fahmi added.

The government has observed that viral content is often unverified and has noted the significance of fake news during the Palestine-Israel conflict, as highlighted in a report from Al-Jazeera.

Fadzil stated, “Unfortunately, they highlighted Malaysia as a prime example of fake news.”

In response to the Al-Jazeera report, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has been instructed to investigate this matter.

Fadzil assured that the ministry and regulators will assess the issue raised by APHR, emphasizing that social media platforms are not registered or licensed by MCMC.

“We need to make sure everything is in order, so give us a little bit of time and we’ll make an announcement soon,” Fahmi concluded.

Fadzil also mentioned that details about the meeting with TikTok in Parliament will be shared through a press statement on Thursday (Oct 12).

The MCMC Capacity Development Awards Night 2023 aims to celebrate the accomplishments of individuals and organizations who have participated in and supported MCMC’s capacity development programs.

Fahmi emphasized the importance of industry players in developing capabilities to innovate and adapt to changing market conditions, stating that together, they can contribute significantly to the Malaysian economy.

The awards presented at the event were divided into two categories: Excellent Participant Award for Converged Telecommunication Policy and Regulations (CTPR) Masterclass 2023 and MCMC Chairman’s Recognition Award for MCMC Capacity Development Programme (CDeP) Top Participation 2023.

Winners of the CTPR category included Rachel Chan Wai Lai from MCMC and Khairul Akmal Zahri from TM, while winners of the CDeP category were the Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd, and the Ministry of Health.

During the event, Fahmi witnessed the exchange of collaboration documents between MCMC and the Manpower Department (JTM), signifying their joint effort in developing skills programs with the Kepala Batas Industrial Training Institute in Penang. – Bernama