KUALA LUMPUR — Former MIC politician Awtar Singh has issued an open apology to the chairman of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din, after falsely accusing the regulator of failing to act against phone-based scammers.
In a statement uploaded to his TikTok account @awtarsinghpuchong10 today, the former Subang Jaya City Council (MBSJ) councillor admitted his accusations were baseless, unfair, and made without a proper understanding of the facts.
He said his claims, first made in a TikTok video on April 17 in which he also called on Salim to resign, had tarnished reputations and undermined public confidence in the MCMC.
Despite the false allegations, the commission did not request that TikTok remove the original video.
“I would like to extend my sincere apology specifically to Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din and his family, as well as all MCMC officers and staff who were directly or indirectly affected by my baseless statement,” he said.
“I admit that my statements have tarnished the good name, undermined public trust, and affected the reputation of Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din as MCMC chairman and the institution itself.
“In particular, the allegation that the MCMC chairman failed to act against scammers using unregistered and unmonitored mobile phones was baseless, unfair, and wholly inaccurate, made without knowing the actual facts.”
Awtar added that MCMC had, in fact, taken many actions against scam activities, including arrests and prosecutions in court.
“I regret my remarks made in the TikTok video, and I pledge not to upload, publish, or circulate any similar statements or content on the matter, whether directly or indirectly, against MCMC and Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din,” he said. — September 10, 2025