THE Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has summoned a social media influencer named Aliff Ahmad for questioning following a Facebook post in which he offered to conduct a background check on PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar using the 'Scrut Analytica' system.
Aliff, who co-founded the data analytics platform, said he received an official notice to appear at MCMC’s headquarters in Cyberjaya at 8pm on Thursday.
However, he refused to attend at the scheduled time and instead told authorities to seek a court-issued arrest warrant if necessary.
“I had other matters and couldn’t attend. I’ve asked them to go to court tomorrow morning to obtain a warrant if they need to,” he wrote in a social media post.
The post in question offered to investigate Izzah’s employment and sources of income, on condition that it received 20,000 shares on Facebook.
Aliff had previously alleged that he reported a website selling leaked National Registration Department (JPN) data to MCMC, but said no action had been taken and that the site was still active.
“I find it laughable that MCMC is so determined to investigate my post—which I believe doesn’t violate any laws—while plenty of clearly unlawful content remains unchecked,” he said.
Aliff later confirmed he would be present at the MCMC office for questioning at 10am on Friday.
“I’m not afraid—in fact, I’m excited. Maybe this gives me a solid reason to go ahead with the ‘scrut’ on Izzah, even if the post hasn’t yet reached 20,000 shares,” Sinar Harian cited him saying
The incident has reignited discussions over freedom of expression, data governance, and regulatory enforcement in Malaysia’s digital space.
Meanwhile, Izzah in a statement said she was informed by some friends about the post from Aliff.
She also said she did not know Aliff and had never met him before.
“I am also not sure how he makes a living. I want to stress that neither me nor my officers lodged any reports to the MCMC about Aliff as some alleged.
“It is important for all parties to be careful in making accusations that can tarnish the reputation and affect the credibility of any party without a strong basis,” she added. - April 25, 2025
