KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has had engagement sessions with almost all the social media platforms operating in Malaysia to discuss how to curb online crimes and misinformation in the upcoming state elections.

Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil said MCMC were assisting the platforms to understand the laws operating in Malaysia.

"These sessions were with the ministry and social media platforms like Telegram, Meta and almost all the social media platform operators. At the same time for the police in terms of action that they can take with regards to the 3R (race, religion, royalty), these are matters in terms of enforcement and we’ll leave it to the police to take whatever action is necessary,” he said when met.

"We've seen for example police reports have been filed whether it's about statements made by Lim Guan Eng or Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, the police will act without fear or favour and anyone seen to be possibly or potentially transgressing whatever laws of the land there are then investigations will be done," he added.

Fahmi was commenting on potential racial and religious sentiments being played up and fanned on social media leading up to the state elections in Penang, Selangor, Kedah, Terengganu, Kelantan and Negeri Sembilan and what the authorities were doing to curb such misinformation.

Lim was accused of stoking religious and racial sentiments when one of his speeches in Mandarin was misrepresented to suggest he was claiming there were parties planning to destroy Buddhist and Chinese temples.

The Bagan MP disputed those news reports alleging him to be fanning religious sentiments, saying these had twisted a speech he delivered.

As for PAS president Hadi, he is being investigated for his recent remarks on the 3R accusing DAP of continuing a plan started by the colonial British to destroy Malay and Bumiputera supremacy with the support of Malays who have forgotten their roots.