'Study needed before blocking social networking sites'

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has said that a comprehensive study must be undertaken first before it can enforce any restriction on social networking sites such as Facebook.

Its strategic communications chief Sheikh Raffie Abdul Rahman said while the commission views seriously the abuse of such online sites to criminally defame, threaten and insult other parties, it cannot be hasty in blocking them.

“The act of blocking Facebook in the country, as is being done by China, Vietnam and Syria, require appropriate consideration before it can be implemented,” he was quoted as saying in Sinar Hariantoday.

He was referring to the case in which a femaleFacebook user was detained afer allegedly having insulted the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'azam Shah.

“In this context, it (criminal acts using social networking sites) is subject to existing laws, that is the Communications and Multimedia Act (1998) and the Penal Code,” he reportedly said.

Calls to regulate social networking sites and online media have escalated of late with Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek admitting on Monday that his ministry is studying the possibility of regulating online news portals.

This follows neighbour Singapore's move to necessitate online news portals with a readership of 50,000 a month or more, to obtain a licence from its Media Development Authority (MDA).

Yesterday, it was also reported that organisations Gagasan Anti-Penyelewengan Selangor (Gaps) and Selangor Youth Council both called on the government to ban Facebook.

They said this would help prevent irresponsible parties from using the site to threaten the nation’s harmony, spread lies and insults or even pornography.