KUALA LUMPUR – Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said he is aware that an informal Islamist group is on the offense online, but declines to comment on the matter.
When approached by The Vibes today, Saifuddin said he heard about the news of the group, called the No Nonsense Netizens (N3), which is reportedly on an online “crusade” against non-Muslims and liberal Malays.
“Yes, I am aware (of the matter), but I really don’t want to get into this (issue) right now,” he said, when met on the sidelines of a press conference and award ceremony for the beneficiaries of the Cultural Economy Development Agency recovery initiative at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre in Sentul here.
Last week, The Vibes reported on the N3, which proclaims itself to be a group of “highly educated” and religiously conservative users.
Its members have waded into the comment sections of popular news pages to attack non-Muslim and liberal Malay users with provocative remarks using fake accounts.
Some are even self-professed scholars in various fields, including religion.
The group’s establishment was marked with a post on January 9, in which the Facebook account of Nora Ree declared N3 a non-partisan “Muslim sisterhood, shield maidens and enforcers of karma”.
Lingam and Nathan Associates has highlighted the existence of N3 and lodged complaints with the authorities, including the ministry and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, on the matter.
The Associates noted that the heated “debates” will often end up with the Facebook accounts of legitimate users being suspended, while those of N3 members will remain untouched, despite reports of abuse being lodged against the latter.
It claimed that Facebook Malaysia has enabled or facilitated N3’s alleged misuse of the social media platform.
It has also raised the matter with Facebook Malaysia, which has denied any knowledge of N3’s existence, adding that the platform’s services are operated by United States-based Facebook Inc.
Facebook Inc, through its Los Angeles-based legal representative White & Case, has also responded to the Associates, denying any knowledge of N3’s activities and stressing its commitment towards safety and lawfulness. – The Vibes, April 5, 2021
