Licence, Online Gambling Ad Issue: Fahmi To Meet Meta On Sept 22

BUKIT MERTAJAM, Sept 14 (Bernama) -- Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil will hold a meeting with social media giant Meta on Sept 22 to discuss several issues related to social platforms, particularly Facebook.

He said among the issues to be raised are the Class Licence for Applications Service Providers (ASP), and the spread of content and advertisements related to online gambling activities, which remain rampant on the platform.

“They have several questions and queries, and I believe on Sept 22 we will be able to address some of these matters. I also found that the majority of content taken down on Facebook consists of online gambling ads and gambling-related posts.

“Complaints that we have submitted from the beginning until now, for example, if an online gambling advertisement is paid for using a credit card, Facebook should know that this is content not permitted in Malaysia,” he said. 

He told reporters this after officiating at the Community Day Programme and National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI) Penanti at NADI Penanti here today. Also present were Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) managing director Abdul Karim Fakir Ali.

Fahmi also said Facebook still refuses to take firm action against accounts and advertising payments linked to the prohibited activity.

“These are among the discussions that I believe we will continue, and we are taking a dialogic approach because we do not intend to ban or shut down, but to take a constructive stance,” he said.

He said this is because many people rely on the platform for economic and social purposes, but at the same time, the government does not want criminals to exploit social media for profit while undermining harmony.

On the Safe Internet Campaign, Fahmi said MCMC has visited more than 2,600 schools nationwide so far, with a target of reaching 10,000 schools by next year, in addition to involving higher education institutions in the campaign.

“It is to deliver the message that we must use the internet safely, and that in fact we have the ability to make the internet safer, especially for children and families,” he said.

Fahmi, who is on a three-day working visit to Penang, also emphasised the important role of NADI managers in educating the community on internet safety, thereby becoming ambassadors of the Safe Internet Campaign.

Under the 1 State Constituency 1 NADI initiative, 42 NADIs have been established by MCMC in Penang, and as of May 2025, they have attracted 10,827 members and recorded 17,743 participations in various smart service activities.

-- BERNAMA