Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), a human rights non-governmental organisation, asserted that the Malaysian Parliament, as a public institution, cannot be a victim of cyberbullying.
This statement came in response to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) announcement that it is investigating members of the public for making allegedly offensive comments on social media about the parliamentary session, according to The Edge Malaysia.
The MCMC claimed that this investigation is part of an effort to curb the widespread phenomenon of cyberbullying in society.
LFL director Zaid Malek criticised the MCMC’s stance, arguing that it is far-fetched and illogical to equate comments made about Parliament with cyberbullying.
He questioned who exactly is being cyberbullied in this scenario – the institution of Parliament or the members of Parliament themselves.
Zaid pointed out that the MCMC’s statement did not clarify how comments on Parliament could be considered cyberbullying.
Zaid suggested that this move by the MCMC and the government appears to be an unlawful attempt to suppress public criticism by exploiting the recent public debate on cyberbullying.
He expressed concern that the threat of criminal action and investigation against individuals for criticising and commenting on parliamentary proceedings demonstrates a disregard for the constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of speech.
Zaid accused the government and MCMC of leveraging a recent tragic case of cyberbullying, which resulted in a death, to justify targeting critics, calling this approach shameful.
He warned that if the MCMC’s actions are not checked, it could lead to a descent into tyranny.
