PMO Meets Meta Reps, strongly Disapproves Removal Of PM’s Social Media Content

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 5 (Bernama) -- The Media and Strategic Communications Division of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) today summoned Meta Platforms Inc (Meta) to explain its removal of content related to the Palestinian issue from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's social media platforms.

The PMO expressed strong disapproval of Meta's decision to delete posts from the Prime Minister offering condolences and tributes to Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was recently killed. The posts were removed from Facebook and Instagram on May 14 and July 30. 

“The Prime Minister’s Office views Meta's actions as a form of discrimination, unfair and restricts freedom of opinion.

“It also constitutes an affront to the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people for justice and human rights,” the statement issued today read. 

The meeting was also attended by Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din.

The statement also stressed that the removal of these posts has profoundly impacted Malaysians and the global community, who empathise with the Palestinian struggle and oppose the injustices of the Zionist regime, as documented in history.

“The unilateral decision to censor content without considering the context raises concerns about Meta's transparency in its content moderation policies,” the statement read further. 

In a related development, the PMO expressed regret over the blocking of a live broadcast by RTM News on Facebook during the ‘Himpunan Pembebasan Palestin’ rally last night. 

In this regard, the PMO has demanded a detailed explanation and a public apology from Meta.

“As promised during the meeting, Meta will release a media statement soon,” the statement read. 

-- BERNAMA