Govt to revise SOP on SMS broadcasts: Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR – SMS broadcasts by the government must only be used for public interest matters, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said.

The standard operating procedures (SOP) for government SMS broadcasts will be reviewed to ensure this, he was quoted saying by Free Malaysia Today.

Such matters would cover flood warnings and alerts on natural disasters and other emergencies.

Speaking in Petaling Jaya today, he said his ministry will gather information and review the process of deciding and disseminating such alerts to the public.

This follows complaints from telecommunications users over a “GOV SMS” broadcast during new year’s eve weekend which contained a spam message promoting the new unity government.

The message in Bahasa Malaysia, shared with The Vibes, stated: “The unity government is a solution that is based on the federal constitution and the law”.

There were also reports of another SMS stating that MPs in the unity government came from different races, religions and regions and held a diverse range of expertise.

These messages followed the forming of the unity government after the 15th general election in November resulted in a hung parliament. The unity government under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been facing criticism from the opposition, Perikatan Nasional, which previously claimed that it had the support of enough MPs to form the government through statutory declarations by lawmakers. – The Vibes, January 7, 2023