The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and police are summoning TikTok’s management to explain “paid content” warning of a repeat of the May 13, 1969, racial riots.
The MCMC said it is also continuing to monitor “provocative videos” circulating on the platform, which is spilling over to other social media.
“The spread of such provocative content with the intention to spark disharmony, hate, prejudice, and (hurt) other peoples’ feelings is a crime under the Penal Code that is punishable with a fine, imprisonment, or both, upon conviction.
“Any dissemination of such video is an irresponsible act that may cause disharmony, division, feelings of enmity, or prejudice in matters of race and religion.
“On that matter, the MCMC and the police will intensify efforts to curtail the spread of such videos that threaten the public peace,” the MCMC said in a statement tonight.
It was previously reported that TikTok videos warning of a recurrence of the racial riots were making the rounds following the 15th general election.
Earlier today, Malaysiakinireported that at least three such videos were “paid partnerships” with the platform.
However, TikTok told Malaysiakini it was unable to verify whether the videos had been sponsored by politicians.
It also declined to divulge how many videos exactly were paid for.
The news portal has also reported on a PAS member who allegedly sponsored attack advertisements on Facebook via a Perikatan Nasional-linked page.
Meanwhile, the MCMC urged netizens not to share and circulate provocative content or spread it from one social media platform to another.
It said sedition or provocative content, or those that are racist, insult religion, or the royal institution, should be reported to the MCMC.
This can be done through its website, its complaints hotline 1800-188-030, its WhatsApp number +60162206262, or via email at aduanskmm@mcmc.gov.my.
Misinformation can be reported to the Sebenarnya website. - Mkini
The Negeri Sembilan state assembly today unanimously passed the state’s Budget 2023 themed “Melunas Janji, Menggalas Harapan” (fulfilling promises, inspiring hope) to balance livelihood needs and strengthen the economy.
The Supply Bill 2023, which allocated RM550 million with an estimated revenue of RM450 million, a development budget of RM130 million and a deficit of RM100 million, was debated for three days from Nov 25 involving 36 assemblypersons.
Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun said the budget covers all sectors which would continue to be empowered to ensure the people are assisted in dealing with the rising cost of living, besides ensuring the continuity of food supplies.
During the winding-up session, Aminuddin, who is also Port Dickson MP, said the state government had increased the allocation for the Department of Irrigation and Drainage from RM10.13 million in 2022 to RM11.9 million next year for flood mitigation and river basin management projects.
For the record, he said RM39.55 million (59.69 percent) of the total development budget of RM66.26 million had been allocated for that purpose from 2018 to 2023.
More allocation for flood mitigation
“The state government prioritises people’s welfare in dealing with and preventing flood incidents through annual allocations provided specifically to maintain drainage systems and river basins,” he said.
To deal with disasters, the state government also allocated RM2 million as contingency savings for next year compared to RM500,000 in 2022.
Earlier, Mustapha Nagoor (BN-Palong), when debating the Bill, said the preparation of land lots for the new Felda generation should be done consistently in addition to cooperating with the federal government in realising the dreams of the second and third generation of Felda settlers to own a home.
Mohd Razi Mohd Ali (BN-Sungai Lui) said it was the dream of the settlers’ children to own a house and operate their family’s farms.
The state assembly sitting was adjourned sine die.
Pakatan Harapan mobilisation bureau urged the government to form a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to investigate alleged leakages in the government’s apparent expenditure amounting to more than RM500 billion during the tenure of prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.
Amanah’s mobilisation director Mohd Sany Hamzan stressed that the alleged flow of funds needed to be probed as it involved a large sum of monies and was purportedly not audited.
"We do not know where this RM500 billion went during Muhyiddin's rule. The amount is very large, so we urge the RCI to be established to investigate where the money was spent,” he claimed.
Sany (above) made this statement after lodging reports on the matter at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters today.
He was joined by representatives from the Harapan mobilisation bureau.
Among others, reports were lodged on allegations that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was colluding with Israel, PN’s Padang Serai candidate Azman Nasruddin claiming that the federal government was "kerajaan zina" (adulterous government) and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's "referee moving the goalpost" remark.
Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin
On the same issue, Sany said that Amanah will also be lodging a report on the fund issue with the MACC.
"We will go there (MACC). In the past, 1MDB was RM2.6 billion but this one is RM500 billion, more than ten times the value did not go through the Parliament," he claimed. - Mkini
Former attorney-general Tommy Thomas denied harm was caused by a US$14.92 billion (RM69.35 billion) Spanish arbitral award for the alleged heirs to the Sulu Sultanate.
However, two Sabah deputy chief ministers and the state’s other seven ministers countered that the civil court should still hold Thomas (above) liable in their related civil action against him.
The Edge today reported about Thomas’ statement of defence against the Sabah state ministers’ civil suit filed at the Kota Kinabalu High Court on Aug 16, as well as the plaintiffs’ response to the defendant’s defence.
The civil action by the Sabah state ministers was over Thomas’ alleged mishandling of the claim on the state’s territory by descendants of the Sulu sultanate.
The nine plaintiffs are Sabah Deputy Chief Ministers Jeffrey Kitingan and Joachim Gunsalam; state ministers Jahid Jahim and Ellron Alfred Angin; as well as state assistant ministers Joniston Bangkuai, Abidin Madingkir, Robert Tawfik, Julita Mojungki and Flovia Ng.
The Edge cited Thomas’ defence that contended there was no agreement in writing in the grant linked to the arbitration.
"Thus, (Spanish) arbitrator Gonzalo Stampa acted illegally and without jurisdiction from the inception and throughout his awards are equally illegal.
“The defendant pleads there is no harm that has been caused to Malaysia and it has suffered no losses, monetarily or otherwise, by reason of the illegal arbitral proceedings, illegal partial award, or illegal final award.
"Any costs incurred by Malaysia in challenging the same were necessary, regardless of my Sept 19, 2019 letter," Thomas claimed.
The defendant added that his decision for Malaysia to stay out of the alleged illegal arbitral proceedings and instead obtain a ruling from the Kota Kinabalu court, was not merely by his own experience, opinion and consideration.
Spanish judge Gonzalo Stampa
Thomas claimed that the decision received independent support from internal legal advice from senior federal counsel from the Attorney-General’s Chamber’s (AGC) civil division and international affairs division.
He denied the Sabah politicians’ claims that he had committed misfeasance in public office as he was no longer a public officer after stepping down as attorney general on Feb 28, 2020, as well as the allegation of abuse of power linked to the Spanish arbitral proceedings.
Thomas added that his action was in the honest belief in the legality of his actions as then AG, further contending that in his then position, he was empowered to issue the letter dated Sept 19, 2019, and that its contents were known by the then prime minister and foreign minister during his tenure.
The letter was where the defendant expressed regret to the legal team of the alleged Sulu heirs, as well as offering to pay a sum of RM48,230 as compensation.
Thomas’ defence is bare denial, Sabah ministers say
Meanwhile, in a reply against Thomas’ defence, the Sabah ministers described the defence points as bare denial over the purported misfeasance in public office.
The plaintiffs claimed that Malaysia had consented to the jurisdiction of the Spanish arbitrator when then AG, Thomas hired lawyers from Spanish law firm Messrs Herbert Smith Freehills to act for Malaysia.
The plaintiffs pointed out that the two lawyers - cited only as Arias and Capiel - were from the same Spanish law firm.
"By doing so, we contend that Malaysia had consented or conceded to the jurisdiction of the arbitrator by virtue of the fact that Arias and Capiel had sought for a stay of the arbitral proceedings, an acknowledgement of which was fatal to Malaysia's challenge to Stampa's jurisdiction,” the Sabah ministers contended.
They claimed that Arias and Capiel withdrew from the arbitral proceedings on Nov 18, 2019.
The plaintiffs alleged that Thomas contravened independent legal advice by directing Arias and Capiel to take part in the arbitral proceedings.
Didn’t go through cabinet?
"The defendant is further stopped from relying on such advice when he had acted contrary to what had been advised," the Sabah ministers contended.
The plaintiffs further claimed that Thomas’ letter dated Sept 19, 2019 - which Stampa relied upon in issuing the award to the alleged Sulu heirs - amounted to wrongful admission of liability on Malaysia’s part.
"As a result, it was accepted by Stampa as an admission of liability on the part of Malaysia and that compensation was to be paid by Malaysia to the Sulu claimants," they claimed.
The plaintiffs also claimed that Thomas, as then AG, was not empowered to issue the said letter without prior approval of the cabinet, among other contentions. - Mkini
