News

by HIDAYATH HISHAM

THE government is exploring the use of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) to ease the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission’s (MCMC) online enforcement workload, after the regulator handled 345,712 harmful content cases since Jan 1.

Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil (picture) said the volume of harmful content has placed heavy pressure on MCMC, as every takedown request still requires supporting documents and justification before it can be submitted to digital platforms.

“Each piece of content requires supporting documentation and justification explaining why it is deemed harmful. According to MCMC, each complaint takes, on average, from 30 to 45 minutes to process and file with the relevant platforms,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today.

Fahmi was replying to a supplementary question from Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail on whether the government would increase MCMC’s manpower, technical expertise and funding to match its expanded responsibilities under new online safety laws.

Based on 30 minutes per case, he said the workload was equivalent to 19.7 years of continuous processing time.

He instructed MCMC to review its processes to ensure its human resources are not overstretched or wasted.

But he said the issue does not rest with MCMC alone, as digital platforms must also take greater responsibility in detecting and removing harmful content more efficiently.

“For example, of the total figure I mentioned, 91% relates to gambling and scams,” he said.

Fahmi said such content is often generated repeatedly and promoted through paid advertising systems, making enforcement more difficult when platforms fail to act quickly.

He said the Online Safety Act and related subsidiary regulations are aimed at strengthening platform accountability, including by requiring harmful content to be removed more efficiently and automatically.

On the use of AI, Fahmi said both regulators and platforms must adopt the technology to manage online harms at scale.

He said platforms have already used AI to detect content that violates community guidelines, but enforcement gaps remain.

“Previously, ByteDance itself used AI to detect violations of community guidelines. However, we observe that platforms still struggle to effectively use AI to remove harmful content,” he said.

Fahmi said this showed the need for both sides to improve their use of AI, with platforms strengthening detection and removal systems while MCMC uses the technology to manage enforcement more efficiently.

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By AKMAR ANNUAR

MALAYSIA will maintain a fiercely independent and non-aligned foreign policy as geopolitical tensions, weakening global norms and unilateral economic measures test the ability of smaller nations to protect their interests.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the country’s foreign policy is not based on passivity or nostalgia, but on a deliberate effort to preserve Malaysia’s agency in an increasingly uncertain and transactional world.

“Our foreign policy will remain independent, and that is fiercely independent, proactive and non-aligned,” he said in his keynote address titled “Strategic Foreign Policy and Regional Cooperation: A Malaysian Perspective” at the 39th Asia-Pacific Roundtable (39APR) today.

Anwar said Malaysia would continue to engage all major partners, including the US and China, without being forced into rigid alignments that do not serve the country’s national interest.

He said peace, prosperity and national security must remain at the forefront of Malaysia’s external policy, particularly as global rivalries increasingly affect regional stability, trade routes, energy security and diplomatic space.

He said Malaysia’s approach requires the country to take clear positions on issues of principle while preserving constructive ties with friendly nations.

“We will not hesitate to adopt positions, cultivate relationships and support initiatives that advance our values, beliefs and interests,” he added.

During the Q&A session at 39APR, Anwar said Malaysia’s engagement with China should be viewed through the country’s own experience, rather than through the lens of external powers.

“I personally don’t share this phobia about the potential threat to the South China Sea. Yes, there are issues, but thus far, Malaysia’s position and experience have been very meaningful exchanges with China,” he said.

Anwar added that Malaysia has managed disputes with its neighbours through direct engagement and diplomacy, adding that this approach also applies to issues involving China.

He also said Malaysia has never treated disagreements with neighbouring countries as a reason to escalate tensions, noting that similar issues exist with Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and the Philippines.

Anwar said this was why engagement must remain the preferred option, especially for a small trading nation that relies on regional stability and open channels of communication.

He said Malaysia is not seeking to project itself as a major power, but wants to work closely with ASEAN and other partners to strengthen regional confidence and reduce the risk of miscalculation.

Anwar said ASEAN centrality remains the cornerstone of Malaysia’s foreign policy, even as the regional bloc faces pressure from crises in Myanmar, border tensions, major-power rivalry and the changing conduct of global trade.

He said ASEAN must continue to uphold a united front while engaging dialogue partners and all relevant sides in regional conflicts.

He also warned that international norms are being eroded by selective enforcement, double standards and the growing tendency of powerful states to disregard obligations when these no longer suit their interests.

He said such double standards risk undermining trust among countries in the Global South, especially when some nations appear able to ignore international law and norms while others are held to the strictest standards of compliance. 

“Global rules should be shaped with, not merely for, developing nations,” he said.

Anwar said global governance must better reflect contemporary realities by giving Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Pacific greater representation in decision-making.

He said the answer to weakening global institutions is not less multilateralism, but more effective cooperation, particularly in areas such as climate change, food security, cyber threats and the protection of civilians in conflict zones.

Anwar also said Malaysia’s diversity gives the country an advantage in building understanding across regions, cultures and civilisations at a time when global divisions are being sharpened by ignorance and mistrust.

He said Malaysia’s foreign policy would therefore continue to be principled but not rigid, ambitious but not reckless, and independent without abandoning the spirit of community and collaboration.

Anwar said Malaysia would continue to defend its national interests while remaining engaged with ASEAN, the Global South and established partners in the West.

This approach allows Malaysia to navigate global uncertainty without being drawn into the rivalries or assumptions of larger powers.

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KOTA BHARU — Five Chinese nationals were injured after the car they were travelling in plunged into a ravine at a culvert construction site at Kilometre 41, Jalan Kota Bharu-Kuala Krai near Machang late last night.

Machang district police chief Supt Azuhar Md Nor said information on the accident was received from the public at about 12.01 midnight.

He said preliminary investigations found that the accident occurred at about 11.50 pm, involving a Toyota Prius driven by a 66-year-old Chinese national, with four other Chinese nationals as passengers.

“All of them were travelling from Temangan, Machang to Tok Bali, Pasir Puteh, using a navigation app.

“The vehicle is believed to have entered a culvert construction site still under construction before plunging into a ravine,” he said in a statement today.

Azuhar said all the victims, comprising three men and two women aged between 40 and 66, sustained injuries and were taken to Machang Hospital for further treatment.

He said the case was being investigated under Section 43(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987.

Azuhar advised all road users to remain vigilant of warning signs, traffic cones and barriers at construction sites and not to rely entirely on navigation applications, especially at night, to avoid untoward incidents.

Meanwhile, Machang Fire and Rescue Station operations commander Mohd Fadzil Musa, when contacted by Bernama, said the five victims involved in the accident were identified as Wang Fuying (59), Wang Yumi (61), Pan Jieyin (66), Yang Chuan (40), and Zeng Guojin (65). — BERNAMA

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A lawsuit against Standard Chartered Bank over its alleged role in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal will proceed to trial in Singapore following a court order.

In a statement on Wednesday (July 1), the independent court-appointed liquidators of the claimants said the Singapore High Court on Tuesday upheld the dismissal of Standard Chartered Bank’s strike-out application, allowing the US$2.7 billion (US$1 = RM4.08) claim to proceed.

In November 2025, the Singapore High Court dismissed the bank’s application to strike out the suit filed against it by the liquidators, prompting the bank to appeal the decision.

According to media reports, the suit was filed in June 2025 by Angela Barkhouse and Toni Shukla on behalf of former 1MDB subsidiaries Alsen Chance Holdings Ltd, Blackstone Asia Real Estate Partners Ltd and Brightstone Jewellery Ltd.

The suit alleged that the bank authorised over 100 intra-bank transfers that helped conceal misappropriated funds while ignoring multiple red flags. 

According to the statement, the liquidators remained resolute in their commitment to recover the assets misappropriated from the companies and to hold accountable those responsible for facilitating the misappropriation of those assets as part of the wider fraud involving 1MDB. 

“The liquidators welcome the dismissal of the bank’s appeal as a positive step forward for their recovery efforts, which are ultimately for the benefit of the people of Malaysia,” it said.

A Standard Chartered spokesperson told Bernama that the bank intended to seek permission to file a further appeal.

The claimants are represented by Lok Vi Ming SC, Joseph Lee, Mohd Haireez, Tan Kah Wai and Koo Jin Rong of LVM Law Chambers LLC.

Lim Chee Wee Partnership of Kuala Lumpur acts as global co-ordinating counsel for all 1MDB-related asset recovery efforts in Malaysia and abroad. — BERNAMA

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