Latest news with #EdisiSiasat
Barnama
43 minutes ago
- Barnama
New 'Edisi Siasat 2.0' Cannot Be Accessed
KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 (Bernama) -- The Telegram channel of 'Edisi Siasat 2.0', which was created after the 'Edisi Siasat' and 'Edisi Khas' channels were blocked yesterday, is now also inaccessible to users of the platform. A Bernama check of the channel found that a warning displayed, saying "This channel can't be displayed because it violated local laws (Malaysia)" and all content on the channel had also been deleted. Yesterday, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) filed a civil action against two channels on the Telegram platform, namely 'Edisi Siasat' and 'Edisi Khas', rendering the two channels inaccessible on the same evening.
Straits Times
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Malaysia cracks down on online critics amid controversial mobile data tracking project
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysian authorities are taking action against online critics of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's administration, with politicians and members of the public being called in for police questioning in recent weeks, charged or muzzled. This comes amid growing unease over the government's Mobile Phone Data (MPD) project, which collects users' mobile data from telcos, without an opt-out option. Despite government assurances, critics have raised concerns over data privacy and security, fearing the information could be misused for surveillance. Already, there have been moves to silence online critics. Most recently , two channels of messaging service Telegram were bloc ked for allegedly harmful content that violated local laws. Whistleblower watchdog Edisi Siasat (investigation edition), with 1.18 million members, and its companion channel Edisi Khas (special edition), are no longer accessible in Malaysia. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission ( MCMC ) said on June 19 that it obtained a temporary court order against Telegram and two channels on the platform for allegedly disseminating content that violates the country's laws. Malaysia's communications regulator said it sought the court order against Telegram following the platform's 'serious failure to address content that has been repeatedly reported to it'. The nature of the harmful content was not disclosed. The MCMC's latest move echoes its 2015 block on UK-based news blog Sarawak Report over 1MDB-related content. And now, at least half a dozen individuals have been questioned by the police for social media posts critical of government decisions, including the data-collection scheme. 'They (the authorities) have to stop the data collection. Why is there a need for large-scale monitoring?' said Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) Pahang Youth chief Wong Siew Mun, whose party is aligned with the Anwar-led unity government. 'This involves public interest and trust. We are trying to foster public discourse on this... We have a role to play in making sure the government is doing the right thing ,' she told The Straits Times, adding that the data-collection project should be tabled in Parliament for debate and scrutiny. Ms Wong was questioned by the police on June 18 over a video she posted on TikTok, in which she questioned whether Malaysia is truly undergoing reform s or slipping into 'dictatorship,' following the government's decision to collect data from telcos without individual s' consent. In its pilot phase, the MPD project is expected to continue until 2026. The government and telcos stress that only 'anonymous' data will be collected – meaning, no names or ID numbers – and that the data is for official use and is protected by strong laws, information leaks can and do happen . But experts warn that even when data is anonymous, it can sometimes be pieced back together to identify individuals. 'No personal data will be shared,' and 'we are not aiming to track the whereabouts of any individual,' MCMC deputy managing director Zurkarnain Mohd Yasin told the media on June 9. The growing scrutiny and pushback against critics comes at a time when the Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's administration is facing growing public discontent, including over the rising cost of living, even as it faces growing tensions within the ruling coalition. All of which appears to contradict his Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition's longstanding commitment to free speech, undermining his reform agenda. In fact, social media censorship in Malaysia surged during Datuk Seri Anwar's first year in power, according to a TikTok report released in mid-2024. Currently , several individuals are being investigated by the authorities , including those questioning political developments within the ruling coalition. Lawmaker and former Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli on June 9 highlighted the case of X user Amer Hamzah, whose wife filed a police report after their home was visited by officers from both the MCMC and the police. Besides Mr Amer, Mr Rafizi also identified other social media accounts allegedly targeted for commenting on the recent internal elections of his Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), where Nurul Izzah Anwar, the Prime Minister's daughter, was declared deputy president over Rafizi, who held the post previously. 'The content under investigation merely constitutes personal opinions about the PKR elections and does not violate any law. If it is indeed considered an offence, then it should be addressed through transparent and legitimate procedures, not through tactics that instil fear,' Mr Rafizi said in a statement. The MCMC also summoned social media influencer Aliff Ahmad in April after he posted an offer on Facebook to investigate Ms Nurul Izzah's background using his platform, Scrut Analytica, if the post received 20,000 shares. Meanwhile, online seller Norizan Yahaya, 62, was charged on June 13 with posting offensive content regarding the authorities' investigation into the GISB sect on YouTube in September 2024. He was charged under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000, imprisonment of up to one year, or both. In January, Malaysia introduced a new social media law requiring social media platforms and messaging services with more than eight million users in Malaysia to obtain a licence or face legal action. In pushing for the licensing of social media platforms, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil had said the measure is needed to combat the spread of online crimes, including scams, gambling, and child pornography. The minister has also sought to allay fears among the public over the data-collection scheme. 'The telcos will not be sharing any data containing personal information. Only anonymised data will be (shared), and it will be processed as carefully as possible by the telcos,' he was quoted as saying by the Free Malaysia Today news website on June 8. In addition, the Department of Statistics Malaysia posted on X on June 10 that the data collected would subject to appropriate safeguards. But the skeptics are not buying it. 'There is no such thing as anonymised,' X user Thevesh posted on June 7, adding that such data could be reidentified when combined with other information and thus 'very prone to abuse.' Sensitive behavioural data involving one's health, lifestyle or religious matters could easily be uncovered, noted Woon King Chai, director at Malaysian think-tank Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research. 'A user who connects to a transmitter in Taman Tun Dr Ismail every weekday at 7.20am and another in Putrajaya at 8.45am reveals a consistent home-to-work pattern,' he said, in a post on the Malay Mail's news website on June 17. He also expressed concerns about the growing intolerance of free speech, saying that when individuals who publicly questioned the MPD project are 'subjected to investigations and enforcement action', this fuels fears that the initiative is 'less about planning and more about control'. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Rakyat Post
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Rakyat Post
Malaysians Cry Foul Over MCMC Shutting Down ‘Edisi Siasat' Telegram Channel
Subscribe to our FREE Before we get into the issue, let us explain what Edisi Siasat is. It is a channel on the Telegram app that disseminates unconfirmed information related to alleged misconduct by authorities and civil servants. In essence, it's trying to be a whistleblower platform. Yesterday (19 June), social media blew up with news of Telegram users suddenly being unable to access the channel. According to screenshots shared by users on X (formerly Twitter), the entire chat within the channel disappeared and a message that read 'This channel can't be displayed because it violated local laws (Malaysia) was shown at the bottom. The Edisi Siasat Telegram channel had more than 1.17 million users before it was blocked. Edisi Siasat sudah Arwah… We're in the dark. — Pelabur Bijak 🇲🇾 🇵🇸 (@Pelabur_Bijak) So, what gives? Why did the whistleblower chat group suddenly go dark? The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had earlier filed a civil action against Edisi Siasat, and another related channel called Edisi Khas over Telegram's 'alleged failure to address content that has been repeatedly reported to them'. It said that both channels were identified as spreading content that violates provisions under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which has the potential to erode public trust in public institutions and disrupt social order. KENYATAAN MEDIA MCMC AMBIL TINDAKAN MAHKAMAH TERHADAP TELEGRAM DAN SALURAN YANG MENYEBARKAN KANDUNGAN MEMUDARATKAN DI TELEGRAM. — MCMC (@MCMC_RASMI) An Edisi Siasat 2.0 group popped up on Telegram but users later claimed it can't be found Just hours after the original Edisi Siasat channel was shut down, a new channel took its place on the Telegram app under the name Edisi Siasat 2.0 that quickly gained almost 40,000 members. However, according to recent comments on X, many users say they could not find the channel when trying to search for it. Aisey… what's the link yea. I search kat tele takde. — Jiljangjillu (@jiljangjillu) Checks by TRP found that there is indeed an Edisi Siasat 2.0 Telegram channel with 76,600 members at time of press. Malaysians react to the block and criticise MCMC Many took to social media to express their confusion and share criticism of MCMC's decision to shut down the Edisi Siasat channel. Some even questioned why the whistleblower group was quickly made inaccessible but the the same was not done with pedophile chat groups. I don't understand why they so scared of this ES. They only expose the wrong doings. Nothing else. Is the government protecting those criminals ? — KUMAR (@NAVIN_MARTIN40) READ MORE: Local actress Nabila Huda commented on the fact that MCMC blocked comments on its statement about the action taken against the two Telegram channels. 'MCMC closing the comments on Twitter is icing on the cake. Communication is your job but you don't want to communicate,' Nabila tweeted. MCMC tutup komen twitter is the icing on the cake 🤣🤣 kerja ko komunikasi kot tapi tanak komunikasi HAHAHAHAHHAHA APA SIAL — The Huda (@nabilahudatahar) MACC chief Azam Baki's history with Edisi Siasat Back in October 2021, Edisi Siasat posted It alleged that Azam purchased millions of shares in a company in 2015, questioning how a civil servant was able to afford them. On December 9, 2021, Edisi Siasat's recovery channel (its Twitter channel was shut down in November 2021) Edisi Khas posted a shareholding analysis of Gets Global Berhad (formerly known as KBES Berhad) that detailed the equity of its top 30 stakeholders as of March 31, 2016. This appeared to show Azam as the owner of over a million shares and his brother, Nasir, as that of 3.7 million more. It also posted further documents that appeared to name Azam as the owner of 2.1 million warrants in Excel Force MSC Berhad. Share your thoughts with us via TRP's . Get more stories like this to your inbox by signing up for our newsletter.
Focus Malaysia
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Focus Malaysia
Edisi Siasat blocked by court order: Lawyer insists Comms Minister spell out crimes of whistleblower site
IN George Orwell's satire, Animal Farm, one tyrannical regime is toppled by a popular revolt, only for it to be replaced by one that is infinitely worse. This was seemingly the point that lawyer and human rights activist Charles Hector was making with regard to whistleblowers. He was referring to the action taken against whistleblower sites – Edisi Siasat – whose Telegram channel has been blocked and can no longer be viewed by its 1.18 million followers. Editor's Note: Apart from Edisi Siasat, another well-known Telegram channel, Edisi Khas, is also facing similar wrath from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for allegedly spreading content that could harm public order and erode trust in national institutions. Hector very pointedly asked what laws did this site break? The anti-death penalty proponent demanded that Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil and the MCMC to immediately inform Malaysians as to what is happening in detail. This is to avoid confusion. The legal eagle outlined several pertinent queries: 'What was the alleged crime committed by Edisi Siasat? What post? How was it harmful? Was it fake? Which law exactly did it violate?' he enquired, wondering if it fell afoul of the broadly worded Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 which many citizens have called to be repealed. Hector further drew comparisons of Edisi Siasat with that of the restrictions placed on Sarawak Report by Datuk Seri Najib's administration. The latter website had been instrumental in revealing damning details on the 1MDB scandal and drawing public attention to it. In 2015, the Sarawak Report was blocked in Malaysia with authorities having issued an arrest warrant for its editor/founder Clare Rewcastle Brown for 'threatening parliamentary democracy.' Pre-0emptive measure With a number of cases against officials from the previous administration on-going, perhaps there is a fear among Madani officials that they, too. would be subject to such scrutiny should Pakatan Harapan (PH) fall at the next elections. Hence, they are safeguarding themselves by taking the necessary pre-emptive measures, according to the outspoken lawyer. This includes the dubious blocking of sites and abuse of authority. 'Remember that public officers are responsible to Malaysians and not just the current PM and government,' he reminded civil servants of their duty. 'The fact that (past) PMs and ministers do commit crime and sometimes abuse their power is already clear. Even now, there are pending investigations and on-going trials against past government PMs, ministers, etc. 'After GE16 –if and when PMX Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's's Madani government is ousted – it is possible we will see cases being commenced against ministers of this current government.' – June 20, 2025
New Straits Times
13 hours ago
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Edisi Siasat blocked on Telegram, returns as 'Edisi Siasat 2.0' within hours
KUALA LUMPUR: The Telegram channel Edisi Siasat, which has been publishing crime-related content, was blocked in Malaysia last night. The channel, with 1.8 million followers, was blocked after the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said it had obtained an interim injunction to prevent the republication of content from it and another channel, Edisi Khas. However, another channel, Edisi Siasat 2.0, was created last night, producing content similar to Edisi Siasat. The New Straits Times has reached out to MCMC for comment. Yesterday, MCMC said the two channels had published content in breach of the Communications and Multimedia Act. It said the injunction was a last resort to stop the spread of harmful content and to prevent the republication of similar material. The commission added that this is the first action of its kind taken against a social media platform provider, specifically because Telegram holds a Class Application Service Provider (ASP(C)) licence. The move follows Telegram's repeated failure to address content that has been reported to the platform numerous times, despite various negotiation efforts and cooperation extended by MCMC.
