KUALA LUMPUR: Action can only be taken against any person who has insulted the monarch on social media, only after a police report has been lodged.
Communications and Multimedia Deputy Minister Eddin Syazlee Shith said the police would conduct an investigation once that has happened.
“Only then can the ministry, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), take the necessary action,” he said.
He added that the same procedure also applied for postings that were racist in nature or those that touched on religion.
Eddin Syazlee said it was not the practice to monitor social media round the clock. “But if we decide that action must be taken, then we will act based on the legislation,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.
Actions that could be taken include taking down the offensive articles and imposing a fine on the offender.
He was responding to a question from Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin (BN-Padang Besar) who wanted to know if the ministry and the MCMC were authorised to take down postings that insulted the Malay rulers, race or religion.
“From what I have seen, you have failed,” Zahidi said. “For instance, an article on the local portal Daily News portrayed the Crown Prince of Johor as being rude, but it is still up until today.”
In response to a supplementary question, Eddin Syazlee said action against anyone would be taken based on current laws.
“These include the Sedition Act and the Communications and Multimedia Act,” he added.
