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Free Malaysia Today
25 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Fahmi says Meta, X not doing enough to curb online harm
Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil and CMCF chairman Rafiq Razali launching guidelines for the reporting and sharing of suicide-related content at Cybertorium Star Tower, Petaling Jaya. PETALING JAYA : Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil took social media giants Meta and X to task today for not doing enough to tackle cyberbullying, scams, and harmful content online. He said only TikTok had shown real commitment by voluntarily joining the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF). 'We cannot have these social media platforms washing their hands of content that could also create online harm, particularly related to suicide,' he said when launching CMCF's guidelines for the reporting and sharing of suicide-related content here today. Fahmi said he had asked CMCF to engage with Meta, X, and other major players, but that none came forward to participate. He said TikTok, on the other hand, took the initiative 'very early on, even before we came up with the licensing regime for social media and online messaging systems'. 'I wholeheartedly applaud TikTok's approach to voluntarily becoming a member of Content Forum,' he said, contrasting this with the 'far from satisfactory' response from Meta and X. 'Facebook, for example, said that they are going to be licensed. But they must understand that Content Forum is not government-led. It's industry-led. It's actually in their interest to participate so they can help develop best practices and codes of conduct.' Malaysians lost RM53.88 billion to online scams in 2024 – around 3% of the gross domestic product. From 2021 to April 2024, online scams claimed over US$708 million (RM3.18 billion) with more than 95,800 victims, according to the State of Scam Report 2024. Suicide rates have also risen sharply. In 2022, Malaysia recorded 1,068 suicide deaths – up 66.6% from 641 cases in 2020. Selangor had the highest number of cases (305), followed by Kuala Lumpur (135), Johor and Penang (123 each). Fahmi also called on vernacular media to support suicide prevention efforts, saying that mental health resources should be made available in all major languages. 'We need to reach out to the vernacular press. A lot of the content is in English, but our efforts must be understood in all languages,' he said. He urged journalists to adhere to CMCF's guidelines when reporting on suicides, particularly by protecting victims' identities and families' privacy to avoid 'copycat' incidents. 'Reporting about suicide is most sensitive and most harrowing for any journalist (covering the tragedy). We should not divulge the location or the personality in such tragedies,' he said. He said the CMCF guidelines also covered the broader digital ecosystem, providing practical advice on how to safely share lived experiences, avoid trauma-triggering content, and guide people towards available support services. 'This comprehensive approach reflects an understanding that every individual plays a role in creating a safer and more empathetic content environment,' he said. He said Malaysia's leadership in this initiative had also gained international recognition, with the guidelines selected for presentation at the International Association for Suicide Prevention.
Daily Express
26 minutes ago
- Daily Express
Fahmi says Meta, X not doing enough to curb online harm
Published on: Tuesday, June 03, 2025 Published on: Tue, Jun 03, 2025 By: Minderjeet Kaur, FMT Text Size: Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil and CMCF chairman Rafiq Razali launching guidelines for the reporting and sharing of suicide-related content at Cybertorium Star Tower, Petaling Jaya. PETALING JAYA: Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil took social media giants Meta and X to task today for not doing enough to tackle cyberbullying, scams, and harmful content online. He said only TikTok had shown real commitment by voluntarily joining the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF). 'We cannot have these social media platforms washing their hands of content that could also create online harm, particularly related to suicide,' he said when launching CMCF's guidelines for the reporting and sharing of suicide-related content here today. Fahmi said he had asked CMCF to engage with Meta, X, and other major players, but that none came forward to participate. He said TikTok, on the other hand, took the initiative 'very early on, even before we came up with the licensing regime for social media and online messaging systems'. 'I wholeheartedly applaud TikTok's approach to voluntarily becoming a member of Content Forum,' he said, contrasting this with the 'far from satisfactory' response from Meta and X. 'Facebook, for example, said that they are going to be licensed. But they must understand that Content Forum is not government-led. It's industry-led. It's actually in their interest to participate so they can help develop best practices and codes of conduct.' Malaysians lost RM53.88 billion to online scams in 2024 – around 3% of the gross domestic product. From 2021 to April 2024, online scams claimed over US$708 million (RM3.18 billion) with more than 95,800 victims, according to the State of Scam Report 2024. Suicide rates have also risen sharply. In 2022, Malaysia recorded 1,068 suicide deaths – up 66.6% from 641 cases in 2020. Selangor had the highest number of cases (305), followed by Kuala Lumpur (135), Johor and Penang (123 each). Fahmi also called on vernacular media to support suicide prevention efforts, saying that mental health resources should be made available in all major languages. 'We need to reach out to the vernacular press. A lot of the content is in English, but our efforts must be understood in all languages,' he said. He urged journalists to adhere to CMCF's guidelines when reporting on suicides, particularly by protecting victims' identities and families' privacy to avoid 'copycat' incidents. 'Reporting about suicide is most sensitive and most harrowing for any journalist (covering the tragedy). We should not divulge the location or the personality in such tragedies,' he said. He said the CMCF guidelines also covered the broader digital ecosystem, providing practical advice on how to safely share lived experiences, avoid trauma-triggering content, and guide people towards available support services. 'This comprehensive approach reflects an understanding that every individual plays a role in creating a safer and more empathetic content environment,' he said. He said Malaysia's leadership in this initiative had also gained international recognition, with the guidelines selected for presentation at the International Association for Suicide Prevention. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
New Straits Times
28 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
Social media platforms urged to join CMCF to ensure ethical content
PETALING JAYA: All social media platforms should join the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) to ensure more ethical content, says Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. The minister, when making the call, said CMCF was industry-led and it was in their interest to develop best practices for the industry. Fahmi said currently, only TikTok was a member of the CMCF, while Facebook, Instagram and X were not despite many invitations. "They have given many excuses, and as Mediha Mahmood (CMCF chief executive officer) mentioned, Facebook said they would be licensed. TikTok, on the other hand, took an early step even before the licensing regime and voluntarily became a member of the CMCF. "I wholeheartedly applaud TikTok's approach. But Facebook, Instagram and X are far from satisfactory. "I will communicate with them. The CMCF is not government-led; it is industry-led. It is actually in their own interest to help develop certain best practices and codes of conduct," he said to reporters at the Suicide Content Guidelines launch today. Fahmi expressed hope that the Suicide Content Guidelines could be digested and practised by all parties in a media organisation. "If we want to bring about structural change, the whole organisation needs to understand the importance of respecting certain principles. "Following this, I asked the CMCF to undertake a few things. Firstly, to conduct workshops with as many media organisations in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak, so that all parties understand the core elements of the guidelines that have been launched. "Secondly, we need to involve not just mainstream media, but also social media platforms. These platforms, such as TikTok, Facebook and others, must understand that anything which leads to what may not necessarily be categorised as a news report but is still displayed or featured on their platforms must be addressed accordingly. "We cannot have the social media platforms washing their hands of content that could also create online harm, particularly content related to suicide," he said. Fahmi, who just came back from the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity Ministerial Meeting (APT-MM) 2025, said that all countries were facing issues with social media platforms. He said the platforms seem to think that they are above the law. "Many of these social media platforms seem to think they are above the laws of countries in the Southeast Asian region, or even the Asia-Pacific. So, this is not merely a legal issue. It is also about the attitude of these platforms. "One could say they are profit-driven. When it comes to making money, they move very fast. But when it comes to complying with the laws, they are extremely slow," he said. He added that he had spoken to his counterparts both in the Asia-Pacific region and Southeast Asia, who were facing the same predicament. "What we have managed to achieve is the Kuala Lumpur Declaration, which was agreed upon during the Asean Ministers Responsible for Information meeting in Brunei in early May. This Kuala Lumpur Declaration will be adopted during the 47th Asean Summit this coming October. "This declaration is essentially a statement of intent by Asean countries to face these social media companies as a united front, or at least with a common goal. "Economically, we do hope these platforms can contribute to the digital economy. But when it comes to social security and national security, for Asean countries, these platforms must comply with the laws of our respective nations in the Southeast Asian region and Asia-Pacific as a whole," he said. Meanwhile, Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) chairman Rafiq Razali, in his speech during the launching ceremony, said the guidelines aim to create a framework that protects the vulnerable, empowers the informed, and supports a healthier and more compassionate national discourse. "We are not alone in this mission. We are part of a broader movement — one that sees ethical storytelling as a tool for advocacy, awareness, and, ultimately, prevention and preservation. "In an era when headlines compete for attention and social media posts go viral in seconds, it is essential that our content practices are guided by intention and empathy. "The way we talk about suicide matters, and it's crucial that we do so with care and intention," he said.
