IT is unfortunate that the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) existence is being largely defined by its role to police stupidity, idiocy, falsehood and mischief in cyberspace.
And for this, it is not getting much sympathy. Instead it is being criticised by almost all quarters of society. The whole length and breadth of all socio-political leanings is almost always jumping in unison – chill, man, don’t get too worked up by stuff over the internet!
Yet, each individual and group would be too quick to call on the MCMC to act when they are affected. The MCMC can do no right when such self-serving hypocrisy exists, undoubtedly.
For some, the MCMC is the manifestation of Orwellian’s Big Brother; watching ominously over the clicks and clacks of our keyboards.
I believe the folks at MCMC must have better things to do than having to deal with such inconveniences, but the law states that at some point when complaints are made, or if the police department asked it to do so, for instance, then the Commission will have to get involved.
Social media is the town square where we share news, gossip and lies, and the MCMC is a reluctant arbiter of what is good and kosher, what is playful and fun, as well as what is dangerous, insidious and destructive.
Recently a comedian, social media commentators, jiving radio DJs, out of kilter religious figures and social media creatures have or are feeling the wrath of the laws vested in the Commission that are meant to make us behave in the name of the greater good and for public order, security and harmony.
Some of these folks touched on issues that may raise the ire in some of us, yet for some others they are a mere shrug of the shoulders. In these instances, we look at MCMC to see if it would be laying down the law for transgressions, or offering a large swath of latitude in the name of free speech.
When it does act, it can be criticised for being too lenient, or too tough, or too quick to flex its muscles, or to be sitting on its hands and not doing anything at all. There is no Goldilocks moment for the commission, it seems that its actions are often too hard or too soft, never just nice for everyone.
The MCMC is also answerable to a number of stakeholders from the public, to the industry and to the folks in Putrajaya, all of whom have different points of view of what is good or bad for the country – some believe in the laissez faire, live and let live philosophy, while others would like a sterner eye over content in the cyberspace.
But of course there is more to MCMC than dealing with people sailing too close to the wind when trying to be funny, or glib or cute, and where their attempt at levity may not always hit the spot but instead cause anger and distress.
There are also the racists, pornographers, scammers, grifters and the what-have-yous that need to be monitored, and perhaps even acted on.
Then, there is the grey area where the purveyors of fake news, masters of deceptions, guns for hires who manipulate content to fuel selective outrage, some of which are machinations of our very vibrant political scene. How does MCMC police a political agenda?
Because of its role and authority in most things digital, the MCMC is often called to rein in arsonists setting fires and fanning flames over the internet, which is an impossibility – it is like the proverbial bucket brigade trying to tame the fires in the hills.
For example, we have this thing called the 3R – guidelines where there are limits on what one can comment on race, religion and royalty. There is no clear legal statute defining what 3R is, but clearly it is a common sense kinda thing – if someone is offended by content or comments on any of the three topics, and that sense is shared by many others, then one can be on the verge of breaching the 3R guidelines.
Living our lives in Malaysia we sort of know what the 3R entails. Maybe we would try to push the envelope a bit here and there, and that is where the MCMC may be asked to act. But that too is a reading-the-room kind of approach, there is nothing scientific or empirical about 3R.
Nevertheless, the headlines and attention-grabbing issues are just a small slice if the bigger piece the MCMC serves the nation. It is the Commission that is responsible, and perhaps with greater gravity and consequence, to the development of the national digital environment and infrastructure to improve our lives and support business and commerce.
It oversees the telecommunications and the digital industry, from towers to the quality of services provided to us. And don’t forget the courier services especially when e-commerce is an important component of our daily consumptions.
Yet, our pre-occupations with content that annoys or offends us will somehow diminish in our eyes the MCMC’s other responsibilities, and instead we have it fight impossible battles against content that is designed to upset us. – May 13, 2025
Veteran newsman Datuk Zainul Arifin is CEO of Big Boom Media which publishes Scoop