PUTRAJAYA — The government may expand the definition of online harm to include content showing road accidents, Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said.
He urged the government’s Online Safety Committee to be prepared to conduct a review of content that can be considered disturbing or graphic.
Including footage of road accidents in the definition of online harm can protect public sensitivities, victims and their families, as well as prevent interference with investigations, he added.
Fahmi cited the fatal crash involving six members of a family in their brand new Proton X50 in Kedah yesterday, noting that dashcam footage of the incident had been widely circulated online.
“Imagine if the family were to see the unfiltered footage? I hope the Online Safety Committee will consider this and invite stakeholders from social media platforms to take appropriate action. We want the platforms themselves to take action,” he said at a press conference today, Bernama reports.
The minister earlier attended the Media Roundtable on Safe and Responsible Suicide Reporting, where Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad was also present.
The family of six involved in the road accident in Pinang Tunggal, Sungai Petani, Kedah at 3.50pm yesterday had been riding in a Proton X50 SUV that strayed into the opposite lane on a straight stretch of road, colliding with a lorry carrying soil.
Five of them, including a baby, died, while a three-year-old girl survived with serious injuries.
The child is reported to be in stable condition today at the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital (HSB) in Alor Setar.
The five family members who perished were buried at Kampung Simpang Tiga Pasir in Merbok, Kedah, this morning. They were Ahmad Shafiq Ahmad Shukri, 29, his wife Jamaliah Sannusi, 29, their two-month-old baby boy Ahmad Mikail, his mother Nora Mhd Husin, 55, and his younger brother Ahmad Fahim, 21.
Another victim, Iskandar Affan Ibrahim, seven, Ahmad Shafiq’s nephew, was laid to rest at the Permatang Kuang Mosque Muslim Cemetery in Penaga, Penang
Police applied for a remand order against the lorry driver but were rejected by the Sungai Petani Magistrate’s Court.
Magistrate Mohamad Azlan Basri allowed the 49-year-old man to be released today following his arrest immediately after the incident.
The lorry driver tested negative for drugs, had a valid driving license, and had been driving at 60 kilometres per hour at the time of the incident, according to Kedah police chief Datuk Adzli Abu Shah. – June 8, 2026