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THE Ministry of Communications has acknowledged that the current process to remove sensitive or inappropriate online content can take up to two weeks, a delay seen as increasingly problematic amid widespread dissemination of false information on social media.
Deputy Secretary-General (Telecommunications Infrastructure) Mano Verabathran explained that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is only able to act on online content after receiving formal complaints, as it does not have direct authority to remove content from digital platforms.
“There is a process that must be followed. To remove any content, MCMC must first engage with the platform operator. We do not have the power to take down the content ourselves,” said Mano.
“We have to notify the platform about the content, and they will review it in accordance with their community guidelines. These platforms have their own conditions and requirements.
“The time it takes to act depends on the platform’s response and their internal processes. Typically, it can take between one and two weeks,” he told reporters after launching the 2025 Madani MSME Digital Grant Carnival at a hotel in the capital today.
His comments come in the wake of the tragic death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, which triggered an outpouring of false information and conspiracy theories online, including a widely circulated false claim that she had died after being placed in a washing machine.
A 39-year-old schoolteacher, Siti Hajar Aflah Sharuddin, was recently charged in the Sepang Magistrate’s Court for allegedly spreading false information on TikTok in connection with the case. She pleaded not guilty.
Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail has also stated that such misinformation risks undermining the integrity of police investigations.
Zara Qairina was found unconscious on 16 July at her school and was pronounced dead the following day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. A 17-day inquest into her death is set to begin on 3 September.
Separately, Mano announced that Malaysia’s digital infrastructure continues to strengthen, with 545 new communication towers operational in Q2 2025, 5,154 transmitter stations upgraded, and 300,470 premises now with fibre optic access. All 138 locations in Sabah designated for satellite internet access are now connected.
He added that 4G coverage in populated areas of Sabah has reached 95.3 percent, while 5G availability stands at 69 percent in high-density zones, supported by 596 operational 5G transmitters across the state.
The ministry is also moving into drone-enabled healthcare services. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH), MCMC is launching a pilot project to deliver medication via drones from Tawau Health Clinic to two National Information Dissemination Centres (NADI), set to begin by the end of the year. - August 24, 2025