Cabinet member responds to Ambiga’s unrealistic assessment
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil disagreed with former Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan’s comments on the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) planned social media licensing policy.
“This is not the government that conducted Ops Lalang and this is not the government that takes action against protesters.
“Recently, a group of protesters holding a picket in front of the Prime Minister’s service centre in Tambun were, in fact, treated fairly and not met with batons and tear gas.
“In fact, they were given water and bread instead,” he said during his weekly post-Cabinet press conference today, reported The Star.
Ops Lalang (Oct 27, 1987 – Nov 20, 1987) was a Malaysian police operation that arrested over 100 opposition figures and activists under the ISA, aiming to quell racial tensions but criticized for suppressing dissent.
Among those arrested were politicians the late Karpal Singh,DAP veteran Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang, DAP national chairman Lim Guan Eng, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu.
Fahmi described her remarks as hyperbole and not grounded in reality.
He suggested she should be more realistic in her criticism of the government’s social media licensing plan.
Fahmi stated that while Ambiga is entitled to her criticisms, but they should be presented within the appropriate context.
“I invite her to look back at the history of our struggle including the Bersih protests, when she helmed it, on how they were treated.
“Such matters are not happening now. I think she has the wrong target. Maybe her remarks was targeted at the previous leaders,” he said without referring to any particular individuals.
Ambiga, who led Bersih from 2011 to 2013, expressed disbelief on Monday that a Pakatan Harapan government would fail to fulfil its promises to reform outdated laws like the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA) 1984.
Her comments were prompted by the government’s announcement that all social media and internet messaging services with a minimum of eight million registered users in the country would be required to obtain a licence.
On July 27, the MCMC announced that starting today, social media and online messaging platforms in Malaysia with over eight million users will need to secure a government licence.
This licensing requirement will come into effect on January 1, 2025.
The new regulatory framework aims to enhance online safety for all Malaysians.