Malaysia demands explanation, public apology from Meta over removal of PM Anwar’s Facebook posts

PETALING JAYA - Representatives from Meta Platforms met officials from Malaysia’s Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to explain the removal of several posts from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Facebook and Instagram accounts.

“During the meeting, the PMO expressed its deep dismay at Meta’s action in removing the Prime Minister’s posts, expressing condolences and paying tribute to the late Ismail Haniyeh, who was recently assassinated,” said the PMO’s media and strategic communications division.

The PMO also expressed regret over the blocking of a Facebook live broadcast involving broadcaster RTM’s news account of a rally supporting Palestine on Aug 4.

“The PMO views Meta’s actions as discriminatory, unjust and a blatant suppression of free expression. It is also seen as an affront to the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people in their pursuit of justice and human rights,” it said in the statement.

The PMO added that the decision to censor content without considering the context of the post raised “questions about the transparency of Meta’s content moderation policies”.

“As a result, the PMO demands a detailed explanation regarding Meta’s actions and a public apology.

“As promised during the meeting, Meta will be issuing a press statement shortly,” the statement said.

It was previously reported that the posts on Datuk Seri Anwar’s Instagram account condemning Haniyeh’s assassination on July 31 and photos of his meeting with the Hamas leader had been removed from the social media platform.

The posts were removed with the caption “Dangerous individuals and organisations”.

This led the PMO to condemn Meta’s actions.

On Aug 1, Mr Anwar accused Meta of being an instrument of the Zionist Israeli regime. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK