Following the speculated news of our Malaysian government possibly creating a new social media app, it didn't take long for Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil to debunk it. Long story short - he said it would be "too costly for the government to build its own social media platform".
According to sources, Fahmi said developing a social media app for Malaysians is just not the top priority right now. Obviously, aside from the high cost of maintaining it, the government also has many other issues to fix. This includes dilapidated schools and clinics which are prioritised at the moment.
Initially, Fahmi mentioned developing a specialized social media app for the locals during a government meeting in Putrajaya. This is because of the profit-driven methods from current social media platforms, especially Facebook, and the amount of scams running rampant there. It was reported that Facebook made $600 million from Malaysians but neglected safety.
While speaking on the matter, Fahmi also said that he welcomes private companies in Malaysia to come and develop their own local social media platform. He encourages those who are interested to approach MOSTI (Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry) or MDEC (Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation) for assistance.
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