Commission intensifies action against coordinated racist content on social media

THE Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has identified more than 40 Facebook accounts and nearly 10 TikTok accounts suspected of engaging in inauthentic behaviour to rapidly disseminate racially charged content, the Minister of Communications and Government Spokesperson, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil, told reporters following a Cabinet meeting on Friday.

Fahmi said the crackdown was prompted by the rapid spread of a single video accompanied by identical narratives across multiple platforms.

The posts allegedly portrayed an incident involving individuals of Indian and Malay descent in a way that stirred racial sentiment.

“Within the past 24 hours a piece of news was circulated that was initially claimed to involve an Indian gangster injuring a Malay landowner, and there were elements and seeds of racism that were being inserted,” he said.

“Almost all of these posts used the same video with the same wording. The investigation process related to the dissemination of this information is ongoing and any attempt to fan racial sentiment will not be tolerated.”

Police in Selangor confirmed on Thursday that the viral footage, which shows a four‑wheel‑drive vehicle colliding with a motorcyclist in Kampung Sungai Jernih, Kajang, did not involve gang‑related activity or any racial motive.

Selangor Police Chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar explained that early investigations indicate the incident stemmed from a personal dispute over local land issues and the right of way for a truck.

The 16‑second clip showed the vehicle striking the motorcycle and was spread with images and captions asserting that threats had been made, but investigators have found no basis for the racial narratives attached to the footage.

In a related development, Datuk Fahmi said the MCMC had also identified 19 accounts believed to be fake and engaged in coordinated inauthentic behaviour during live parliamentary broadcasts.

“Of the 19 accounts, two have been confirmed as fake accounts and investigations are ongoing for the remaining 17 accounts,” he said, referring to a report in a local English‑language newspaper on 8 February.

The report noted that live streams of parliamentary proceedings had become a vehicle for spreading hateful messages and misinformation, prompting calls for proactive measures to address the problem. - February 13, 2026