Fahmi condemns cyberbullying of UM student Ummi after she questioned Najib fine donations

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has strongly denounced the cyberbullying and threats targeting Universiti Malaya student Ummi Umairah Bakhit after she voiced her opinions at a forum. Fahmi emphasized that threats and berating the student, along with attempts to locate her at the university, were unbecoming conduct and should not be tolerated simply due to disagreements in perspective.

He clarified that differing viewpoints are acceptable, and Ummi's expression of her stance did not contravene any laws or criminal offenses; she merely addressed issues concerning corruption. Despite some disagreement with Ummi's tone or articulation, Fahmi stressed that her core message was essential, advocating for a Malaysia that combats kleptocracy and opposes theft, robbery, and corruption.

Following Ummi’s questioning of the public's decision to donate to aid former Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak for a RM50 million court-imposed fine, she faced backlash on social media, including threats against her. In response, Fahmi urged all cyberbullying victims to promptly file police reports and notify the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to facilitate the identification of perpetrators and subsequent legal action.

Fahmi also pointed out that the MCMC would investigate potential actions regarding the case, striving for proactivity rather than merely receiving reports after the fact. He reminded the public of the importance of proper etiquette in online communication, as stated by His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, who cautioned against assuming online posts are consequence-free, even when accounts are believed to be fake.

Fahmi disclosed that the MCMC is investigating several coordinated inauthentic behavior (CIB) incidents targeting Sultan Ibrahim and the Yang Di Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, revealing that over 2,000 pieces of artificial intelligence-generated or highly offensive content, alongside 600 fake accounts, were identified as insulting His Majesty.

Most of these fake accounts were believed to originate overseas, and investigations are still ongoing. If specific individuals are positively identified, Fahmi assured that efforts would be made to bring them to justice. Regarding Tuanku Muhriz, the MCMC had identified a recent surge of fake accounts created about a month prior, used to incite insults against royal institutions.

Some of these accounts had no followers or only a single follower, prompting suspicions of specific intent. The Malaysian government is also considering more stringent regulatory measures, such as electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) processes and age verification, to combat cyberbullying on instant messaging platforms like WhatsApp.

Although WhatsApp mandates a minimum age of 16 for account creation, Fahmi highlighted that the platform’s encrypted communications pose safety challenges, particularly among school students. Fahmi stated that the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA) currently does not cover communication services like WhatsApp, and he intends to request MCMC to examine the matter in collaboration with Meta, the company behind WhatsApp, as the platform itself has set a minimum age requirement.