KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will not take any further action against three Era FM radio hosts following the controversy surrounding their alleged mockery of other religious celebrations, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
Fahmi said the decision was made considering that Nabil Ahmad, Azad Jasmin, and Radin Amir Effendi Ahmad Aruani, being celebrities, have already faced significant backlash since the controversy arose.
“I spoke with them because I realised they were under immense pressure.
“While they are celebrities who are always in the public eye, I asked them to be patient and calm because we have no intention of taking any action against them,” he said.
He made these remarks after the Prime Minister’s Breaking of Fast Ceremony with media practitioners in Angkasapuri today.
According to Fahmi, the RM250,000 compound imposed on Maestra Broadcast Sdn Bhd, the operator of Era FM radio station, is sufficient.
This decision, he said, was made after obtaining approval from the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC).
“The compound was imposed on a company, not individuals, as the company has high annual income, unlike individuals,” he said.
Asked if the case was closed with the compound, Fahmi said from MCMC’s perspective, everything is settled.
However, regarding police action, Fahmi said it was not under his ministry’s jurisdiction.
Earlier, MCMC announced that it would not suspend the license of Maestra Broadcast Sdn Bhd, the operator of Era FM radio station, but instead imposed a RM250,000 fine.
MCMC stated in its statement that the compound was imposed for an offense under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (as amended and effective on Feb 11, 2025), namely uploading offensive content on Era FM’s official TikTok account.
On Mar 5, six individuals, including three Era FM radio hosts, were questioned by the Classified Crime Investigation Unit (USJT) of the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department regarding the investigation into allegations of mocking other religious ceremonies.
The three radio hosts were also suspended from their on-air duties in the ‘3 Pagi Era’ segment.
Following this, MCMC issued a Notice of Intention to Suspend License to Astro Audio, giving them 30 days to respond to the notice before any decision is made.
However, MIC Deputy President Datuk Seri M. Saravanan requested that the proposed suspension be reconsidered as it was deemed too harsh and unfair, as the offense was related to three of its radio hosts and not the entire station staff. – March 11, 2025