Move FM Global News

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Southeast Asian nation Malaysia has announced that it will take legal action against Meta Platforms, Facebook’s parent company, for not removing “undesirable” posts.

Since entering office in November after a closely fought election that led to ethnic tensions, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration has pledged to curb “provocative posts” that enflame racial and religious tensions.

In a statement, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said, “Facebook has recently been plagued by a significant volume of undesirable content relating to race, royalty, religion, defamation, impersonation, online gambling and scam advertisements.”

Meta had failed to take sufficient action despite repeated requests, and legal action would be taken to promote accountability for cybersecurity and protect consumers, the commission added.

In an emailed statement, the commission stressed that under Malaysia’s Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, allowing the abuse of network facilities or application services are potential offenses.

If prompt action is not taken, the law also allows for company officials to be charged for “willfully providing means and aiding criminal activity,” it added.

In Malaysia, which has a Muslim Malay majority living alongside ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, race and religion are sensitive topics, as well as discussions about the country’s royal family, with negative remarks about being treated as sedition.

With some 60 percent of the country’s 33 million people having a registered account, Facebook is Malaysia’s largest social media platform.