KUALA LUMPUR: Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil stressed that he has never instructed any media outlet, including the Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), to disable the comment section on their social media accounts.
He said media outlets have the right to impose restrictions by methods deemed necessary, including closing the comment section, taking into account the decision of the Federal Court regarding readers’ comments posted on the media portal sites.
“I would like to remind the honourable members about the Federal Court’s ruling in 2021 concerning readers’ comments on a news portal.
“The Federal Court ruled that the platform is accountable for the comments posted, so we must exercise caution with the comments that appear.
He said this in his reply to a supplementary question from Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas) concerning the disabled comment sections on social media accounts of media outlets including Bernama, and the need to balance freedom of expression with legal measures against cyberbullying.
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