Threats against UM student unacceptable despite differences in opinion: Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR – Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil has condemned the online bullying and threats directed at Universiti Malaya (UM) student Ummi Umairah Bakhit over views she expressed at a forum, urging victims of cyberbullying to report such incidents to the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). He said threats against the student, including those suggesting that she would be tracked down at the university, were unacceptable and reflected a lack of proper conduct in online communication, Bernama reported. “We can have different views, that’s not a problem. In Ummi’s case, she expressed her views and we know that university students now have the right to speak up. “So, we should welcome this because she has not violated any laws, nor has she committed any criminal offence. She only addressed matters concerning the crime of corruption,” he told reporters after attending the Smart Parents Interactive Hub Programme here today. Fahmi said disagreements over the student's tone or manner of expression should not overshadow the substance of her remarks. He said her views reflected a desire for Malaysia to stand against kleptocracy and reject theft, robbery and corruption. During a recent open forum with Umno leaders, Ummi Umairah questioned the public's decision to donate money to help former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak pay a court-imposed fine of RM50 million. Her comments subsequently attracted a backlash on social media, including threats directed at her. Fahmi urged those subjected to cyberbullying to lodge reports with the police and MCMC so the authorities could identify those responsible and take appropriate action under the law. He added that MCMC would assess possible action in the student's case and would not simply wait for formal complaints before acting. Fahmi backs King's call for proper online conduct Fahmi also expressed his full support for the reminder by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, that the public should observe proper etiquette when communicating on social media. He cautioned users against assuming that online activity carried no consequences, even when they believed they were operating behind fake accounts. Fahmi said MCMC was investigating several cases involving coordinated inauthentic behaviour (CIB) targeting Sultan Ibrahim and the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir. More than 2,000 pieces of artificial intelligence-generated or highly offensive content, alongside 600 fake accounts, had been identified in connection with insults directed at the King, he said. “Preliminary investigations by MCMC found that most of the fake accounts attacking His Majesty on Facebook were believed to originate from overseas, and investigations are ongoing. “If we positively identify specific individuals, we will strive to bring them to justice,” he added. On the case involving Tuanku Muhriz, Fahmi said several fake accounts were believed to have been created about a month earlier before being used to fuel discussions containing insults against the royal institution. Some of the accounts had no followers or only one follower, raising suspicions that they had been set up for a specific purpose. Government considers tighter safeguards for messaging platforms Fahmi said the government was also examining whether stricter regulatory measures, including electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) procedures and age verification, should be introduced to address cyberbullying on instant messaging services such as WhatsApp. Although WhatsApp has set a minimum age of 16 for account holders, he said the platform continued to present safety challenges, particularly for school students, because its communications are protected by end-to-end encryption. “Under the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA), communication services such as WhatsApp are not currently covered. “As such, I will request that MCMC examine the matter and engage with Meta, which introduced WhatsApp, as the platform itself has set a minimum age requirement,” he said. - October 18, 2026 The post Threats against UM student unacceptable despite differences in opinion: Fahmi appeared first on Scoop .