MOHAMAD AL AS
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has engaged in discussions with major social media platforms regarding the newly-mandated licensing requirements, says Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
This follows MCMC's announcement on July 27 that social media sites and online messaging platforms with at least 8 million users must apply for a licence by Aug 1 to continue operating in Malaysia, with enforcement beginning on Jan 1 next year.
"Today (July 30), I have had my first round of discussion meetings. MCMC has met most of the social media platforms, and even the 44 civil society organisations (CSOs) who wrote to the prime minister have been briefed by the MCMC. Some of them have not, even though we have invited," he said in an interview with Channel News Asia.
Emphasising the need for effective moderation by social media platforms, he said that Malaysia's diverse society presented unique challenges.
The government, he said, had studied approaches from other countries to develop a framework against harmful online content, addressing issues such as scams, sex trafficking networks, child sexual abuse materials, and cyberbullying.
"We have looked at how different jurisdictions address online harmful content. Most countries face relatively similar problems. We can make certain comparisons," he said.
However, Fahmi stressed the importance of contextualising these issues within Malaysia's multicultural, multiethnic, and multi religious society.
"Certain words may not be understood as bullying in certain societal or cultural contexts," he said.
He highlighted a particular concern with Tamil-speaking TikTok users, noting that TikTok was not well-equipped to moderate these interactions, especially during live sessions.
"What I found to be absolutely troubling was the kind of bullying that was happening particularly among Tamil-speaking TikTok users.
"That is where we discovered that an organisation like TikTok was not well placed to moderate, particularly live sessions", he said.
This is especially relevant in the wake of the death of online influencer A. Rajeswary.
Rajeswary, fondly known as Esha, had allegedly committed suicide after being bullied online.
When it comes to compliance from social media sites on the new regulation, Fahmi said the government welcomed participation by the platforms in discussions.
"We remain open. We want to make sure that these social media organisations, which make a handsome profit, do not violate any of our laws. We want to make sure the Internet is safer for children and families," he said.