File complaints on grieving Dr M pics to media council, says Fahmi

Criticisms over the extensive media coverage on former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad grieving in the days following the death of his wife, Dr Hasmah Ali, have caught the attention of the government.

Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil advised those who are concerned about any excessive media coverage to file their complaints with the Malaysian Media Council, Bernama reported.

Fahmi said any grievances should be channelled through the proper avenues to avoid misunderstandings and actions that could affect the integrity and credibility of the media industry.

“I would suggest that members of the public, who have anything they wish to raise about the media, to use the official complaints channel through the MMM. There is a link that can be accessed,” he told reporters following an event in Shah Alam today.

Fahmi also urged the media to respect the wishes of the former prime minister and his family as they mourn their matriarch, who passed away on Sept 28.

“To members of the media, I would like to offer a reminder that we should give space and respect the family’s wishes while they are grieving.

“Let us pray that Tun Dr Mahathir and his family remain strong in facing this great ordeal,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission is investigating a 27-second black-and-white video posted on TikTok by user @vinustudio.my, which went viral, garnering more than 745,000 views, 30,200 likes and thousands of shares.

The clip shows the former prime minister wiping away tears, alongside AI-generated scenes of him embracing Hasmah, set to emotional background music.

According to Bernama, Fahmi said MCMC had identified several social media accounts found to have disseminated offensive content by misusing artificial intelligence applications to edit images of Mahathir during the period following his wife’s passing.

“The authorities will take action. I personally noticed that the account has disappeared. We are not yet sure whether it was a fake account, but the MCMC, together with the police, is tracking down the parties responsible for producing extremely offensive content in this matter,” he said.

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