Communications Minister, Fahmi Fadzil had clarified yesterday in Dewan Negara that the permanent ban faced by activist Fahmi Reza’s TikTok account had nothing to do with the ministry or its agency, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
Fahmi Reza had experienced the ban during his TikTok live session in a university campus in Kuala Lumpur.
In replying to a query by DAP Senator, Sdr Roderick Wong, in which he was raising his concern over the balance between freedom of speech and online safety regulations, the minister had said that the permanent ban was not following from a request by the MCMC or the public but was made by TikTok themselves allegedly due to graphic violent images shown during the Live, captured by its AI-moderated system, which is a community guideline violation set by the platform.
Interestingly, the minister had engaged with TikTok to get further clarification on the matter and has requested for a review on the ban. The TikTok account has since been restored and can be viewed publicly.
This fast and decisive response by the minister shows that the government intends to keep its promise that creators of all walks can engage with platforms so long as it does not harm others.
It also shows that had it not been for the minister’s proactive intervention, the ban faced by activists like Fahmi Reza could have been a more irreversible affair, thus falling victim to TikTok’s own flawed system.
Hence why the government sees value in stepping in by way of tabling the Communications and Multimedia (Amendment) Bill 2024 so that platforms are answerable for their actions and cannot take creators and their accounts for a ride.
The MADANI government will continue to ensure that the internet network ecosystem is safer for all users, especially children and families.
