KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has directed social media platforms to remove audio and video content alleging corruption involving state assemblymen related to a mineral project procurement in Sabah.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said this followed requests from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which are investigating the case.
“PDRM is handling a death threat case. They requested MCMC’s assistance because there are videos that could compromise the investigation. They asked MCMC to take them down.
“MACC also issued a statement requesting that the content be removed to avoid disrupting their investigation. However, MCMC is not involved in the investigation itself; we were only asked to take down the content,” he told reporters after attending a Special Committee Meeting on Resolving Congestion at the Johor Causeway (Meeting No. 2/2024) at Bukit Aman here today.
A news portal recently reported on several video recordings allegedly showing state assemblymen receiving hundreds of thousands of ringgit to support a company’s application for a project in the state.
The discussions in the videos involve a businessman who reportedly requested politicians, including senior officials, to return the money after the licence for the project was revoked. However, the businessman’s face is not visible in the recordings.
Yesterday, MACC said it had summoned five state assemblymen for questioning regarding allegations of corruption linked to the mineral project procurement in Sabah.
On Nov 13, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain confirmed that police were investigating death threats received by a whistleblower, who claimed to have eight videos related to the incident.
On Saturday, Tempasuk assemblyman Datuk Mohd Arsad Bistari has clarified that his conversation, featured in a viral video linked to alleged corruption, was made in jest.
In a statement, Arsad explained that the video was edited and circulated with malicious intent, although he was aware of the questionable motives when the individual visited him for the discussion.
“I want to clarify that my conversation in the edited and maliciously spread video was done in a joking manner and not in a serious context.
“I suspected that the person who met me had unclear motives, and based on that suspicion, I engaged in a sarcastic and informal conversation.
“Therefore, it is not appropriate to conclude that the conversation was a confession or an act in violation of the law,” he said. – November 18, 2024