PuaPuadedeh : ‘Make Facebook account holders register with MCMC’

A Universiti Sains Malaysia expert says it is quite difficult to track down Facebook culprits, especially when they can easily get away with excuses that their accounts had been hacked, fake accounts and outside servers. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11, 2014:

The government should compel all Facebook users in the country to register their accounts with the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to make it easier to identify them.

Universiti Sains Malaysia Communication Studies Faculty senior lecturer Assoc Prof Mohamad Md Yusoff said this move was more apt compared to shutting down access to the social website Facebook to prevent abuse by users.

“At present, with cases such as insulting Islam, (Yang di-Pertuan) Agong and numerous baseless allegations made on Facebook, it is quite difficult to track down the culprits, especially when they can easily get away with excuses that their accounts had been hacked, fake accounts or outside servers,” he told Bernama.

Meanwhile, Universiti Malaysia Sabah Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Heritage senior lecturer Saat Awang Damit said the registration of users with MCMC would also create a society of responsible Facebook users in the country.

He said only responsible users were capable of making fair comments and sharing their views in a sensible and proper manner, without causing misunderstanding or spreading false information.

Saat’s views were shared by his colleague, Dr Haryati Abdul Karim, who said that it was not apt for the government to shut down access to Facebook just because some users abused it.

Haryati also proposed that a law similar to the Anti-Hate Speech Law be introduced in the country to prevent people from uttering words that ignite hatred or insult any race, religion, ethnic group or citizenship.

The Anti-Hate Speech Law, adopted in European countries, such as Denmark, France, Netherlands and United Kingdom, is also aimed at preventing people from being irresponsible and abusing social websites to make harsh and false statements to cause hatred.

Last Friday, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek was reported as saying that the government would study whether it was necessary to bar access to Facebook following cases of abuse involving the social website.

He said his ministry was conducting studies to gather public views on the matter.