KUALA LUMPUR: The Telegram channel of ‘Edisi Siasat 2.0’, which was created after the “Edisi Siasat” and “Edisi Khas” channels were blocked yesterday, is now also inaccessible to users of the platform.
A Bernama check of the channel found that a warning displayed, saying “This channel can’t be displayed because it violated local laws (Malaysia)” and all content on the channel had also been deleted.
Yesterday, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) filed a civil action against two channels on the Telegram platform, namely “Edisi Siasat” and “Edisi Khas”, rendering the two channels inaccessible on the same evening.
However, at 8 pm on the same day, Bernama’s check of the platform found that a new account using the name ‘Edisi Siasat 2.0’ had been created, gaining over 100,000 followers before it was blocked.
MCMC said in a statement that the action is the first of its kind taken against a social media platform provider, especially since Telegram holds an Application Service (Class ) [ASP(C)] licence.
Both channels were construed as spreading content that violated provisions under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which has the potential to erode trust in (public) institutions and affect public order.
