The government of Malaysia has asked social media giants Meta and TikTok to submit a plan on how they will address offensive content on their platforms, following an increase in content removal requests.
In a joint statement by the Communications and Multimedia Commission and the Malaysian police, it was revealed that the two tech companies attended a meeting with Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, where they were urged to enhance their monitoring efforts.
The statement stated that TikTok and Meta were instructed to provide a detailed improvement plan and strategy based on the meeting’s discussions.
The government reported a rise in the amount of harmful content being shared on social media platforms. They referred over 51,000 cases to these platforms in the first three months of 2024, compared to around 42,000 cases for the entire year of 2023.
The statement did not specify the reason for referring this content to tech companies, but expressed concern about content related to race, religion, and royalty (“3Rs”). It also emphasized the need for better removal of posts related to scams and illegal gambling.
The increasing number of content review and removal requests reflects the challenges faced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, especially in dealing with online attacks from his Malay right-wing opponents using social media platforms to undermine his leadership and coalition.
This online rhetoric has had real-world consequences, as seen in recent incidents involving offensive products being sold and ensuing violent reactions. The government has been actively investigating such cases and cracking down on speech related to the “3Rs” in an effort to maintain ethnic harmony in the country.
However, there is a debate on whether the government should suppress harmful speech, with some supporting the actions taken by the Anwar administration and others criticizing it for restricting free speech.
As the next election approaches in early 2028, finding a balance between defending free speech principles and combating harmful right-wing extremism remains a challenge for the Malaysian government.