KUALA LUMPUR: The government has warned social media users against resorting to threats when expressing their disappointment over issues.
Citing the case of threats aimed at the Alor Star High Court judge over his decision to overturn an operational ban imposed on gambling outlets by the Kedah state government, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had identified coordinated attempts by certain parties to exploit sensitive issues such as gambling, aiming to undermine the government.
He said the MCMC was able to detect this by using 'coordinated inauthentic behaviour' (CIB). CIB is a manipulative communication tactic that uses a mix of authentic, fake, and duplicated social media accounts to operate as an adversarial network (AN) across multiple social media platforms.
"There are some people out there trying to create confusion by ignoring the reasons behind the judge's decision, which primarily concerns the relationship between the state government and local authorities rather than the substantive issue of halal or haram.
"However, there are also cyber troopers using fake accounts to threaten the judge who made that ruling.
"I caution them, we will find you. MCMC has the capability, and we will pursue those making criminal threats, including threats against judges.
"We aim to ensure a safer internet for all Malaysians, including children and families. Therefore, effectively addressing cyberbullying issues is crucial," he told reporters at the KL Startup Summit 2024 today.
It was reported that the Alor Star High Court had, on June 20 allowed a judicial review application to stop the state government from banning licenced gaming outlets from continuing operating in Kedah.
However, the state government has since filed for a stay of execution against the decision pending an appeal at the Court of Appeal. (hartbeat.com/publishing/dashboard/nst.com.my/?sortColumns=engaged_time::pageviews_today#_)
Fahmi also added that TikTok had identified a trend where a group of social media users attempted to repeat a word 15,000 times, causing it to trend globally at that time.
He said that following an investigation, it was revealed that those involved attempted to manipulate the system using an unauthorised application.
"TikTok has identified all accounts involved in coordinated authentic behaviour, actions planned to create a particular perception against the Prime Minister, but it can be applied in any situation.
"Thus, TikTok has taken decisive action and closed several accounts believed to be involved in this coordinated authentic behaviour.