PM accepts apology from Meta

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has accepted an apology from Meta Platforms Inc (Meta) for removing content from his Facebook and Instagram accounts related to the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh last week, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

The government spokesperson mentioned that Anwar hopes such incidents do not recur in the future.

“I have been in contact with the Prime Minister, and he has acknowledged Meta’s apology,” Fahmi said during a press conference after attending the Ministry of Communications’ monthly assembly.

“The Prime Minister noted that his friends, including those in the Middle East (West Asia), have seen the news, which means it has reached around the world.”

“The Prime Minister has accepted the apology, and we hope that such incidents do not happen again,” he added.

Fahmi also expressed dissatisfaction with Meta’s explanation regarding the suspension of live broadcasts on Facebook from the RTM News account, which had aired the Palestine Liberation Assembly last Sunday.

“They smiled awkwardly,” he said when asked about Meta’s response to the issue.

Earlier, media reports indicated that Meta had apologized for removing condolence posts related to Haniyeh’s killing from Anwar’s official accounts on Facebook and Instagram.

According to a Meta spokesperson, the removal was due to an “operational error,” and the posts have since been re-uploaded with proper news labeling.

Yesterday, the government demanded an apology from Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for removing several of Anwar’s social media posts related to Ismail Haniyeh.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) stated that the demand was made during a meeting between Fahmi and the Chairman of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM), Salim Fateh Din, with Meta representatives.