KUALA LUMPUR – Meta’s apology for removing Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Facebook posts on Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has been accepted, and the tech giant was warned not to repeat such actions, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said.
Anwar had informed him of his acceptance of Meta’s apology after the company was told yesterday to keep the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) updated on the latest developments regarding its guidelines for social media posts.
“I conveyed to Meta yesterday that they should constantly update the PMO on the latest guidelines which can change with regard to geopolitical issues.
“Sometimes these changes would be informed to us, and sometimes not. For example, at one point, we learned that the word ‘martyr’ was not allowed to be posted on Meta platforms.
“But yesterday, during the meeting, we were informed that such words were not an issue anymore,” Fahmi told the media after a monthly assembly for his ministry staff today.
The government spokesperson also said he requested Meta to give Anwar, as the prime minister, the same “standard of treatment” that heads of other governments received.
“There should be no double standards,” he said.
Fahmi added that Putrajaya does not intend to block or ban any social media platform over such matters.
On Meta’s removal of Anwar’s Facebook posts on Ismail’s assassination, Fahmi said the company acknowledged making a mistake, but also felt its representatives at a meeting yesterday could not adequately explain why it happened.
He said Meta gave the “excuse” that there are some 3.2 billion Facebook accounts worldwide.
“(As such, they said) when there is any update or new guidelines, that is when ‘mistakes’ could be made.”
Fahmi also said he told Meta he was disappointed that no engineer from the company was present at yesterday’s meeting to explain why Anwar’s posts were removed, and those who attended were not directly looking into the matter or were from different departments.
In his speech to ministry staff earlier, Fahmi said that in Malaysia as a sovereign nation, the post or institution of the prime minister should be respected by all platforms, and Meta had been “rude” in removing Anwar’s posts.
Meta has apologised for removing Anwar’s post on Ismail, who was assassinated in Iran on July 31.
The posts have been reinstated but with a content warning. – August 6, 2024