COMMENT | Recently, the Communications and Multimedia Commission issued a press statement calling for the public to report incidents or content with 3R (race, religion and royalty) elements on social media to a dedicated WhatsApp line or email address.

The reaction towards MCMC’s press statement was mixed. Many expressed reservations, citing concerns that we are becoming a ‘nanny state’, as well as privacy concerns. Some argue that MCMC is promoting a ‘reporting culture’.

From a perusal of MCMC’s statement, it would appear that the reports that can be made pertain to postings or messages with elements of 3R.

Unlike previous MCMC statements in the ‘old’ Malaysia, they do not concern those who ‘insult’ public figures, such as the works of Zunar and Fahmi Reza, or those who criticise the government.

Hate speech online is becoming rampant. I have come across messages or postings which incite hate of others on my various WhatsApp groups, or various social media channels...