Claims Of Bias In Maestra Broadcast Compound Slanderous - Fahmi

PUTRAJAYA, March 12 (Bernama) -- Claims that the compound imposed on Maestra Broadcast Sdn Bhd, the licence holder operating Era FM, is biased and suppresses Islam are malicious and slanderous, says Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

The MADANI Government spokesman said such allegations did not reflect reality or facts.

He said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had published a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document on the compound issued to the company, as certain parties continued to distort the facts on the matter.

"I have already clarified that the compound was imposed on the licence holder, Maestra Broadcast, which operates Era FM—not on Era FM itself or the three radio hosts.

"This case was not brought to court but was decided with the approval of the deputy public prosecutor to impose the (maximum) compound," he said at a post-Cabinet meeting press conference here today.

Yesterday, MCMC stated that it did not suspend Maestra Broadcast’s licence but imposed an RM250,000 compound on the operator of Era FM.

MCMC explained that the compound—issued with the Attorney General’s Chambers’ approval—was for an offence under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (as amended and effective from Feb 11, 2025) involving the uploading of offensive content on Era FM’s official TikTok account.

Further elaborating, Fahmi said that the cases involving the radio station, two individuals including a comedian, and a convenience store operator fell into three distinct categories.

"In the KK Mart case, the investigation was under the Penal Code, and the court imposed a RM60,000 fine.

"In the cases of Harith Iskander and Cecilia Yap, they were prosecuted under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act, but as individuals—not companies.

"The deputy public prosecutor approved a RM10,000 compound for them. These cases were not taken to court but were decided through the DPP’s approval," he said.

Fahmi also reminded that these offences occurred before the amended Communications and Multimedia Act took effect on Feb 11.

"Before this date, such offences could carry a court-imposed fine of up to RM50,000. However, after this date, the fine has increased to RM500,000," he added.

-- BERNAMA