KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) committed to escalating the review of the online content management framework to address content provoking racism and disharmony amongst the people in the country.
Its interim chairman, Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din, said that Malaysia is facing increased posting of provocative and harmful content online.
“It is apt that the regulatory framework is reviewed given the current situation online that perpetuates the spread of content harmful to national security and harmony, including elements of extreme ideology and fake news.
“The regulatory framework review covers aspects pertaining to licensing, the relevance of existing penalties as well as the need of introducing new laws,” he said in a statement today.
According to Mohamad Salim, countries in the region such as Indonesia, Singapore and Australia have introduced direct regulatory oversight on social media service providers, holding them to greater accountability and responsibility when managing harmful content.
“These crucial changes are introduced to curb extremist behaviours and the proliferation of provocative content online,” he added.
He also urged all parties to continue to respect and embrace the diversity of ethnicities, cultures, beliefs, and languages in Malaysia, as well as the royal institutions.
— Bernama
