MCMC heeds King's call for responsible social media use, warns against cyberbullying

PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) upholds the call by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, that every freedom comes with responsibility, particularly on social media.

The commission stressed that freedom of speech and the right to criticise must be exercised with courtesy and should not be used as an excuse to engage in cyberbullying.

Differences of opinion, it said, must not lead to harassment, threats, insults, personal attacks, or the dissemination of personal information that threatens an individual's safety and dignity.

"Such behaviour must not be normalised in a society that upholds freedom of speech and the values of mutual respect.

"The MCMC also takes note of His Majesty's concerns over the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) to produce fake content and the dissemination of unverified information that could incite slander and hatred," it said in a statement today.

As such, the MCMC will continue strengthening efforts to build a safe online environment through cooperation with platform providers, relevant agencies, and the public.

It added that any content suspected of violating the law will be examined and appropriate action taken under existing legal provisions.

The MCMC also urged Malaysians to heed His Majesty's call by respecting differing opinions, verifying information before sharing it, and upholding courtesy and dignity in all online interactions.