CYBERJAYA, March 14 — The government has no plans to create a specific act for the purpose of regulating social media platforms, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

He said the government has never announced any intention for the drafting of such an act.

"I have never heard of a social media platform regulation act, this is my first time hearing it. At this time, the ministry and the government have no plans to create a new law to regulate social media platforms,” he said after launching the Penyelesaian e-Farmasi mobile application here today.

Previously, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was reported to be in the process of preparing a framework to enable all social media platform providers to register with the commission to facilitate the regulation of such platforms in the country.

Meanwhile, Fahmi said MCMC has been asked to expand its methods to identify parties involved in online gambling promotions and to deactivate the accounts involved.

"Each of these social media platforms has its own community guidelines. Generally, abusing the platform to engage in illegal activities or violate the laws of the country can result in their accounts being affected and possibly unable to access those accounts.

"So, I suggest not jeopardising the use of these platforms just for the sake of a little money or reward because there are several steps that can be taken to impose drastic restrictions, especially against those involved in unauthorised activities such as online gambling,” he said.

According to Fahmi, any action against users will be based on existing laws, and the most effective measure is deactivating their accounts.

Earlier, while launching the e-Farmasi application by Telekom Malaysia (TM), Fahmi said it aimed to accelerate the digitalisation of healthcare service providers, especially micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), focusing on e-prescription solutions through teleconsultation.

He said the initiative was a continuation of the cooperation between MCMC and the Malaysian Pharmaceutical Society (MPS) during the PEDi Madani Conference held last November.

The initiative aligns with the government’s efforts to ensure a connected healthcare system, gathering industry expertise, regulatory standards, platforms, and user-friendly services.

"This solution also reflects a significant step forward by channelling technology to segments such as pharmacists, empowering them to provide pharmaceutical services to more people, especially rural communities,” he said.

Fahmi said the Madani MSME Digital Grant (GDPM) offered by the government provides incentives for accessing technology and improving operational efficiency, productivity, and services to the people.

He said qualified pharmacies and healthcare centres have the opportunity to receive grants of up to 50 per cent for connectivity services and e-Pharmacy solutions. — Bernama