PUTRAJAYA, April 8 — Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said today regulators have opened 42 investigation papers against accounts accused of spreading fake content about petrol supplies and prices.
Officials recently claimed the government is facing increasing attacks from parties that manipulate the global energy crisis to incite hate against it.
The Multimedia Commission has demanded social media platforms take down some 350 instances of content said to be fake, and that half of the offending content has been removed, Fahmi said.
“The rest are still being investigated, so I urge all Malaysians to be cautious about information shared on social media especially those regarding the global energy crisis,” he told a news conference here.
Meanwhile 20 people alleged to be behind the content have had their statement recorded.
Fahmi said investigation has so far focused on motive and content, but did not outright dismiss the possibility the suspects may have affiliations with certain political parties.
“I haven’t received any information but from what I’m told so far, the probe is more about how they got the fake content and how it is being spread and why,” the minister said.
