MALAYSIA’S communications regulator has identified more than 15,000 fake social media accounts impersonating members of the country’s Royal Families in the first four months of 2026, as concerns intensify over the misuse of digital platforms and inflammatory online content linked to sensitive national institutions.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) detected 15,296 fraudulent accounts using the identities of 26 royals, including Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah and Tengku Permaisuri Norashikin of Selangor.
According to Fahmi, requests for the removal of the accounts had already been submitted to social media platform providers, with 14,750 accounts successfully taken down to date.
“I express my deepest gratitude to His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, for graciously granting me an audience to present the latest report on the removal of fake accounts involving members of the Royal Families for the period between January and April 2026.
“Based on MCMC monitoring and public complaints received, a total of 15,296 fake accounts using the names of 26 members of the Royal Families have been identified,” he said in a Facebook post on Saturday.
Fahmi also said he had briefed the Sultan of Selangor on the implementation of the Electronic Know Your Customer (e-KYC) verification system, which the government views as a key measure to strengthen digital protections for children and families.
“I also express my gratitude for the views, royal decree and advice of His Royal Highness regarding various current issues, particularly the misuse of online platforms and 3R issues involving religion, race and the Royal institution, which have lately become increasingly alarming,” he added.
The minister’s audience with the Selangor ruler comes amid heightened scrutiny of online activity in Malaysia, particularly content touching on the so-called “3R” issues of race, religion and royalty, which authorities say have become increasingly divisive and dangerous in the digital sphere. - May 9, 2026
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