KUALA LUMPUR – The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has summoned Meta – the parent company of Facebook and Instagram – and expressed “deep dismay” over the removal of several posts made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on both social media platforms.
In a statement, PMO said Meta’s actions were “discriminatory, unjust, a blatant suppression of free expression as well as an affront to the legitimate struggle of the Palestinians in their pursuit for justice and human rights”.
The office’s media and strategic communications division said the posts were of Anwar expressing condolences and paying tribute to late Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran last week.
“We also emphasised that the removal of these posts has deeply impacted the people of Malaysia and the global community, who are well aware of the suffering of the Palestinian people and the atrocities committed by the Zionist Israeli regime, as recorded in history.
“The unilateral decision to censor content without considering the context of the posts clearly raises questions about the transparency of Meta’s content moderation policies.”
PMO also expressed its dismay at the suspension of the live broadcast of the Palestinian Liberation Rally held yesterday on Facebook through the Berita RTM’s account.
“As a result, the PMO has demanded several actions, including a detailed explanation of Meta’s decisions to rectify the matter, along with a public apology from the company.
“As promised during the meeting, Meta will be issuing a press statement shortly.”
Scoop reported last week that Meta’s top officials will be in Malaysia this week to explain its decision to remove Anwar’s posts on Haniyeh’s assassination after the prime minister blasted the company for its actions.
Anwar also issued a firm reminder to Meta not to be a tool of the Zionist regime. – August 5, 2024