Kuala Lumpur: The Cabinet, in its meeting Friday, agreed to establish a special committee to address issues of cyberbullying in the country, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
Fahmi, who is also the spokesman for the Unity Government, said the committee will involve the Communications Ministry, Home Ministry, Digital Ministry and the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform).
He said the committee will also be supported by a special team involving the Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the Royal Malaysian Police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
“The Cabinet is of the view that there should be a sterner action against social media platforms in cyberbullying issues. They (platform operators) cannot just wash their hands, they must be equally responsible for tackling such issues.
“So we (the committee) will look comprehensively at the legal aspects and (make) amendments (to the laws) as well as any other actions we feel are necessary to deal with the issues of cyberbullying,” he said after checking out the full rehearsal of the Installation Ceremony of Sultan Ibrahim as the 17th King of Malaysia at Istana Negara, Friday.
Elaborating, Fahmi said the setting up of the special committee and the special team was very important because they would be able to utilise all the expertise available in relation to the matter, across ministries and agencies.
“Because the issues of cyberbullying involved new social media platforms, even platforms that have not yet appeared, as well as AI (artificial intelligence) technology. So we need to mobilise all the expertise we have including from the technical aspect to deal with it,” he said.
At the same time, he said they are also open and welcome the cooperation and involvement of other ministries in jointly dealing with the issues of cyberbullying.
At the press conference after the Cabinet meeting last Friday, Fahmi was reported to have said that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had asked the MCMC and the police to take stern action in cases involving cyberbullying.
The Prime Minister also expressed his disappointment in the case of cyberbullying that led to the death of a TikTok influencer recently.
Meanwhile, all preparations are in place for the Installation Ceremony of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim as the 17th King of Malaysia, which is set to take place today (Saturday) at the Istana Negara, said Fahmi.
Fahmi, who chairs the Special Committee for the King Installation Events, said final touches and rehearsals were actively being conducted to ensure the smooth running of the historic and grand ceremony.
“We hope tomorrow’s ceremony will not only be a cherished memory for Malaysians but also a source of national pride, highlighting the significance of the institution of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong as the pillar of our nation.
“It’s a day full of anticipation for all of us involved in the preparations, but we can consider all systems go,” he said when met at Istana Negara.
Earlier, Fahmi observed the full rehearsal of the installation ceremony and received a briefing from representatives of the Ceremonial and International Conference Secretariat Division, Istana Negara and the Prime Minister’s Department.
Sultan Ibrahim took the oath and signed the instrument of office as the 17th King on Jan 31.
Events in conjunction with the installation ceremony began on Thursday with the Yasin Recital and Doa Selamat at the National Mosque at 5.30 pm, followed by a Special Friday Sermon.
Other events include a Royal Banquet at Istana Negara today (Saturday) and a visit to the Orang Asli Gombak Hospital by Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia on July 23.
Additionally, the “Raja Kita exhibition” will be held at the National Museum on July 25 and open to the public from July 26 until Sept 2, allowing people to view around 130 royal regalia from the federal level and the state of Johor.
