PETALING JAYA: The nation’s web regulator has dismissed claims by blogger Murray Hunter that it, together with the police, has turn out to be a politicised establishment beneath the present administration.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission stated it has since lodged a police report in opposition to Hunter.
In an announcement, MCMC stated that as a statutory physique, it carried out its duties and obligations in accordance with the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 in addition to its subsidiary legal guidelines.
It additionally stated any motion it took adhered to procedures.
“Hence, Hunter’s accusations that MCMC has acted in extra of its jurisdiction in its personal curiosity appears to be defamatory,” it stated.
MCMC was responding to an article by Hunter, titled “Chegubard’s arrest and charging is a warning to all Malaysians”, revealed right now. Hunter additionally levelled an analogous claim in opposition to the police.
MCMC stated the article went in opposition to Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.
The part offers with offences linked to utilizing community services “to transmit communication deemed to be offensive or might trigger annoyance to a different individual”.
“If Hunter has any difficulty with MCMC, he ought to file a grievance by way of the official channels,” it stated.
When contacted, Hunter stated MCMC was “getting ridiculous”, and claimed that his Substack – a platform that helps subscription newsletters – was blocked in Malaysia.
He stated the assertion issued by MCMC had inferred guilt by means of accusations.
“It’s time the MCMC has an overseeing committee to stop abuse of energy,” he stated.
Hunter additionally labelled the assertion by MCMC as a witch-hunt in opposition to him over an earlier report concerning the Shah Alam stadium.
