THE Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is seeking further information and clarification from US artificial intelligence (AI) company Anthropic over allegations that its Claude platform was used in an operation to manipulate elections and target Malaysian voters.
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said MCMC would determine the appropriate follow-up action based on the information and evidence obtained.
"This is (within) MCMC’s jurisdiction and in line with the relevant legal provisions, including cooperation with enforcement agencies, security agencies, platform providers and relevant parties," he said in a written parliamentary reply on Tuesday.
Fahmi was responding to Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas), who asked about measures to prevent foreign entities from interfering in and manipulating Malaysia's elections through the Claude platform and other AI applications, following a report by Anthropic.
He said any regulatory or enforcement action by MCMC would be undertaken in accordance with the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, the Online Safety Act 2025 and other applicable laws.
Anthropic's report, titled "Detecting and Countering Misuse of AI: September 2026", detailed an alleged operation that used actual census data and millions of voter records to target sensitive political and social issues in Malaysia, including race, religion and the royal institution, across all 222 parliamentary constituencies.
The report said Anthropic uncovered the operation after detecting an account that had allegedly used its platform to manipulate elections and target Malaysian users.
Meanwhile, Fahmi said the government, through the Digital Ministry, was drafting an Artificial Intelligence Governance Bill to strengthen the country's AI regulatory framework, particularly in accountability, risk management and the responsibilities of parties developing and deploying AI systems.
"The government will continue to strengthen monitoring of the risks of AI technology misuse and cooperation with technology providers, digital platforms and relevant agencies to address online harms and ensure that the country's digital environment remains safe, transparent and trusted," he said. - November 4, 2026
.jpeg)
