Fahmi Discusses Social Media Licensing With Singapore's Josephine Teo

By Nur Ashikin Abdul Aziz

SINGAPORE, July 29 (Bernama) -- Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil held bilateral talks with Singapore’s Digital Development and Information Minister Josephine Teo here on Monday, focusing on social media platform licensing.

The one-hour discussion at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI) aimed to ensure a safe internet environment, particularly for families and children.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on Saturday announced that all social media services and Internet messaging services with at least eight million registered users in Malaysia must apply for a Class Licence beginning Aug 1 as part of a new regulatory framework that will be introduced.

Singapore has had a regulatory framework over social media platforms in the country since 2022.

Fahmi, who is on a three-day working visit, was accompanied by the Malaysian delegation including the Deputy High Commissioner of Malaysia to Singapore Khairul Nazran Abdul Rahman, as well as officials from the MCMC.

Before the meeting, Fahmi and the members of his delegation met with officials from MDDI and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), a statutory board that develops and regulates the infocomm and media sectors in Singapore.

The delegation was briefed, among others, on Singapore's Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA), Online Criminal Harms Act (OCHA), and the handling of crises and emergencies such as the spread of false information related to public safety or community health threats.

Fahmi is also scheduled to meet with social media platform operators to address the issues related to online content including scams, cyberbullying, and pornography.

Meanwhile, Fahmi, in a post on his Facebook account, said that among the issues discussed during the meeting with Teo were the challenges and regulatory processes of social media in Singapore, which have been implemented over the past two years.

Fahmi stated that it is not too late for Malaysia to ensure that social media providers are held accountable for criminal activities occurring on their platforms.

"These measures will create a safer online ecosystem and a better experience for users, especially for children and families," he said.

-- BERNAMA