In March, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) started scrutinising Telegram over the contents being spread on the platform. It has since responded that it didn't want to "participate in political censorship". Now, the ministry could be ready to drop the hammer.
According to Bernama, MCMC minister Fahmi Fadzil has confirmed MCMC that MCMC will sanction Telegram if its management remains uncooperative. MCMC is still considering what action to take against the platform but will ensure that it will have minimal impact on Telegram users. In that case, we can assume Telegram won't be banned outright.
As a reminder, MCMC is targeting Telegram because the ministry received many complaints from Malaysians. The platform is allegedly used to sell pornographic materials and drugs, spread investment scams, and more. Despite that, Telegram has taken no action against the accounts responsible.
While Telegram is used in selected communities, most Malaysians use WhatsApp instead and won't be affected. However, it's good to see the authorities take such issues seriously. What do you think?
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