KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 10 — Putrajaya should not entertain the idea of blocking the popular social media site Facebook in order to limit misuse, Yeo Bee Yin, DAP Social Media Strategist and State Assemblywoman for Damansara Utama said.

“If Facebook is to be banned in Malaysia, we’ll join the likes of North Korea, Cuba, Iran and China as “Facebook-banning countries”, a path that no Malaysian who cherishes freedom of expression will ever allow,” she said in a statement issued today.

As things stand, Malaysia already lags in measures such as press freedom. Malaysia fell 23 spots in the 2013 World Press Freedom Index to languish at 145 out of 179 countries. That was Malaysia’s lowest-ever position, lower even than Zimbabwe, Cambodia and Kyrgyzstan.

“We would like to remind Putrajaya of the Multimedia Super Corridors Bill of Guarantees No.7 that promises no internet censorship. Since it has already promised no Internet censorship, then why waste time to even think and talk about blocking Facebook?” she said

As things stand, one out of every three minutes spent online is on social networking in Malaysia, and Facebook is  the largest social network in the country, used by more than 13 million people, she said.

“Therefore, the freedom to use Facebook should be protected in order to protect Internet freedom in Malaysia,” she added.