Fahmi To Meet Meta Again Over Fake News Misinformation

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Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil is concerned about an apparent disinformation campaign on Facebook about the national Quran recital event. (Facebook pic)PUTRAJAYA: Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and a few other agencies will meet with Meta officials next week to discuss fake news on the social media platform.
The latest such fake news concerns the national Quran recital event.
“Starting yesterday, there has been a series of coordinated messages stating there will be no Majlis Tilawah dan Hafazan Al-Quran Peringkat Kebangsaan this year.
“This is despite deputy religious affairs minister Zulkifli Hasan issuing a statement saying the event will take place in May,” Fahmi said at a press conference.
He said he had tasked MCMC with investigating those involved.
“This is something we look at seriously and, if Meta fails to cooperate, we have a few things we can do,” he said, without elaborating.
Meanwhile, Fahmi said the Cabinet had taken note of the views of the king on the KK Mart issue.
“The Cabinet is aware of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim meeting Chai Kee Kan, the founder of KK Mart, today. The Cabinet also takes note and upholds the king’s decree about the need to deal with those who incite the people,” he said, adding that using the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 was not discussed.
The KK Mart controversy began on March 13 when photographs of socks with the word “Allah” at an outlet in Bandar Sunway were circulated on social media. The company immediately issued an apology.
Chai and his wife Loh Siew Mui, who is a KK Mart director, have claimed trial to intentionally wounding the religious feelings of Muslims by selling the socks.
However, despite KK Mart’s apology and the court charges, Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh continued to publicly campaign for a nationwide boycott of the convenience store’s outlets.
On March 27, the king urged all parties to stop taking advantage of the controversy, saying the matter should be left to the authorities and that “persistent anger brings no benefit”.
Three KK Mart outlets, including one in Kuching, Sarawak, have been subject to petrol bomb attacks over the past week. - FMT

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