The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is investigating a Chinese-language daily over an alleged mistranslation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal address during the opening of the new parliamentary session yesterday, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said.
He explained that the probe is being conducted under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which covers the improper use of network facilities or services.
“If police reports are lodged by any party, that matter is separate and will be handed over to the police for investigation in accordance with existing legal provisions,” he said in a statement to FMT today.
The investigation follows a now-deleted Facebook post by China Press, which carried a Mandarin headline implying that Sultan Ibrahim had said Malaysians who do not understand Bahasa Melayu should leave the country.
China Press later removed the post and published a corrected version with a headline accurately reflecting the king’s remarks: that Malaysians who cannot accept Bahasa Melayu as the national language are better off living elsewhere.
It is understood that controversial preacher Firdaus Wong filed a police report against the Chinese-language daily over the social media post yesterday.
Fahmi also urged the Malaysian Media Council, as an independent body, to ensure compliance with journalistic ethics and promote responsible and accurate reporting. He said the council should act as a self-regulatory platform to professionally handle media-related complaints with integrity.
He further advised the public to refrain from extreme or defamatory comments, especially on social media, and to respect the institution of the monarchy while allowing the legal process to run its course.
