Comms Ministry to hold dialogue with platforms on obscene content sharing: Teo
Teo Nie Ching says Telegram, Whatsapp, Facebook need to understand consequences of acts
KULAI – The Communications and Digital Ministry plans to hold a dialogue session with social media platform providers to discuss legal provisions related to the sharing of obscene content in this country.
Its deputy minister Teo Nie Ching said the move is to ensure platform providers, including Telegram, WhatsApp and Facebook, clearly understand that the act is prohibited and users could be penalised if convicted.
“The ministry will hold a dialogue with all platform providers to advise and remind them that the Malaysian law will not tolerate elements like this…and a meeting will be held soon.
“Those who send obscene content will face action under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. We want all platform providers to understand this issue because this type of complaint (spreading obscene content) is the most frequently received,” she told reporters after watching Anwar: The Untold Story at TGV AEON Mall Kulaijaya here last night.
The Kulai MP said this when commenting on a Telegram account that discusses obscene topics run by a woman.
On Monday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said the Islamic Development Department had submitted an official complaint to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission regarding the Telegram account.
On the alleged sabotage in the screening time of Anwar: The Untold Story, Teo said the ministry would conduct further investigations to determine whether the allegation is true.
“Thus far, I have not received any feedback from the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia. We will investigate, but I believe if many viewers are interested in this film, more cinemas will screen it,” she said.
Last Sunday, the film distributor claimed that some cinemas were sabotaging the biopic, which was later denied by the Malaysian Association of Film Exhibitors (Mafe).
According to Mafe, it has never sidelined any local film and has always supported the country’s film industry.
Commenting on Anwar: The Untold Story, Teo said the film could inspire young people as it depicts the struggle and philosophy of the 10th prime minister who did not give up throughout his political career.
– Bernama, May 24, 2023
