KUALA LUMPUR – Perikatan Nasional (PN) Youth has taken the unity government to task for taking action against online critics.
PN Youth chief and Pasir Mas MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari accused the government of stifling freedom of speech among youth who merely voice their disapproval of certain policies and actions.
He cited the case of a social media activist named Mohd Hanif Abdul Rahim, whom he said was summoned by police to give his statement at the Bandar Hilir police station in Melaka and who is also being investigated by the Malaysian Communications And Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
“This is hampering the youth’s freedom of speech. I would like to pose a question to the government, are they indeed infringing on youths’ rights to freedom of speech that they themselves fought to uphold and listed in their own manifesto?
“If this is the action taken by the government, I urge all youth to continue to voice their criticism and disapproval of the government as it is your right protected under our democratic system,” Fadhli told a press conference in Parliament today.
He said this was not the only instance where the new government had taken action against its critics.
“Some of these social media activists have been bullied online. Some irresponsible people even leaked out their private details online.
“I hope the government would instead take action against these individuals who leak people’s private information as it is an invasion of their privacy,” Fadhli said.
Earlier this month, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the MCMC and police have been asked to investigate a Facebook user for allegedly defaming Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
According to Fahmi, the MCMC received 444 complaints regarding online media from January 1 to January 17 this year.
Fahmi said the MCMC was organising programmes to prevent the spread of fake news, hate speech, and scam cases to provide a safe cyberspace for internet users in Malaysia. – The Vibes, February 14, 2023
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