Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching clarified that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) does not have the authority to order social media platforms to remove posts or suspend user accounts.
She explained that any complaints received from the public are first assessed by MCMC before being forwarded to the platform providers for further action. “When MCMC receives a complaint, they conduct their own evaluation and then forward the request to the platform. This is not a directive,” she told the Dewan Negara while responding to additional questions from Senator Tiew Way Keng.
Nie Ching added that social media providers have full discretion in deciding how to handle reported content, which may include leaving it up, temporarily suspending an account (for example, 72 hours), closing an account, or permanently removing the post.
She also advised users who feel that their accounts or content have been wrongly targeted to submit an appeal to MCMC.
Under current law, an ad-hoc tribunal can be formed to hear such appeals, chaired by a court-appointed judge and supported by two appointed members tasked with reviewing the requests.
