KUALA LUMPUR: On Monday (Aug 5), the Malaysian government summoned Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) over the removal of several posts where Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressed condolences and paid tribute to the late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
The government also criticized the suspension of a live broadcast on Facebook by the Malaysian state broadcaster, which was covering a pro-Palestinian rally in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday night.
In a statement, the PMO demanded an apology from Meta and called for actions to rectify the situation, describing Meta’s actions as “discriminatory, unjust, and a blatant suppression of free expression.” The statement emphasized that these actions undermined the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people for justice and human rights.
The PMO highlighted that the removal of these posts had deeply impacted the people of Malaysia and the global community, who are aware of the suffering of the Palestinian people and the atrocities committed by the Israeli regime. It questioned the transparency of Meta’s content moderation policies, criticizing the “unilateral decision” to censor the content on Mr. Anwar’s accounts.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Chairman Mohamad Salim Fateh Din attended the meeting, though it was unclear who represented Meta.
In his removed social media posts, Mr. Anwar had described Mr. Haniyeh as “a dear friend and a valiant advocate of his people.” The posts were reportedly taken down for containing content related to “dangerous individuals and organizations.”
Mr. Haniyeh, who had been based in Doha, Qatar since 2019, was killed in Tehran, Iran on July 31. He was there to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
In May, Facebook had also removed posts about Mr. Anwar’s meeting with Mr. Haniyeh in Qatar, but these were later restored.
The PMO also expressed dismay over the suspension of the live broadcast of the Palestinian Liberation Rally on Facebook via the Berita RTM account. The rally, held at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur and attended by thousands, was organized by the Malaysian government to support the Palestinian cause.
The PMO demanded a detailed explanation of Meta’s decisions and a public apology from the company. It mentioned that Meta had promised to issue a press statement soon, though none had been released at the time of writing.
Mr. Anwar has been a staunch supporter of the Palestinian cause and has defended Malaysia’s relationship with Hamas, considered a militant group by several entities. Following the start of Israel’s war in Gaza after Hamas’ assault on October 7, Mr. Anwar has criticized the reluctance of the United States and the West to pressure Israel.
On July 1, Mr. Anwar announced Malaysia’s readiness to cooperate with Indonesia to send peacekeeping forces to Gaza if mandated by the United Nations. The conflict has resulted in over 39,000 deaths in Gaza, according to local health authorities.
Last week, Malaysia introduced a new regulatory framework for social media and internet messaging platforms with at least eight million registered users in the country, including Facebook, TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter). Enforcement under this new class license will begin on January 1 next year. Firms are required to apply for the license annually, valid for one year.
Separately on Monday, Mr. Fahmi stated that the government is considering developing its own social media application for Malaysian citizens, claiming that current providers profit from Malaysians but fail to ensure user safety.
