Attend public forum on social media licensing, Muda tells Fahmi

Muda has supported Bersih’s move to engage Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil to discuss the licensing of social media platforms and internet messaging services.

The party in a statement said it hoped Fahmi would accept the electoral reform group’s invitation to a public forum issued earlier today.

“We hope he will accept the invitation and not try to shift the ‘goal post’ by targeting other parties over a decision that has courted public criticism.

“We also urge the minister and his office to involve more stakeholders outside of the invited list, including Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) that was not invited, although the group had actively commented on the issue,” said Muda.

Bersih’s invitation to Fahmi (above) was issued following the minister’s statement yesterday that only 27 out of 79 bodies attended an engagement session on the matter hosted by the Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on July 15.

The government’s new regulatory framework for social media and internet messaging service providers, enforced under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, came into effect yesterday.

Fahmi, during a press conference at his ministry, pointed out that the absent groups included Muda and Gerakan Media Merdeka (Geramm).

Muda clarified their absence was because the meeting was called at very short notice - via an email to party secretary-general Amir Abdul Hadi on July 13, just two days before the session.

“We regret Fahmi’s action to use this opportunity to belittle Muda, Bersih, and other NGOs absent from the session as if ignoring all their criticisms and trying to shift attention from the real issue,” said Muda.

The party, formerly in an electoral pact with Pakatan Harapan, also echoed criticisms over the government’s broken promise to amend laws that restrict freedom of press and expression.

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