NEWS of Meta apologising for the removal of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s posts on his Facebook and Instagram accounts received widespread media coverage in the Arab world and Arabic-speaking countries.
The Malaysian government had demanded an explanation from Meta after Anwar’s messages of condolence for the assassinated Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh were taken down from the platforms.
The report was published, among others, on online news platforms like masrawy.com and aawsat.com based in Egypt, alroya.com (Oman), sarayanews.com (Jordan), alalam.ir (Iran), alquds.co.uk and alghad.ty (UK), aljazeera.net, alaraby.com (Qatar), and alwatannews.com (Bahrain).
“We apologise for the operational error in which the posts from the prime minister’s Facebook and Instagram accounts were taken down. The posts have been restored with the correct news label,” a Meta spokesperson told Reuters in response to questions via email.
On Monday (Aug 5), the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) summoned Meta to explain the removal of the posts.
In its statement, the PMO expressed its displeasure at Meta’s actions and considered them an infringement on the prime minister’s freedom of speech.
“The PMO sees Meta’s action as a form of discrimination, unfairness, and restricting freedom of expression.
“It is also an insult to the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people to seek justice and human rights,” according to the PMO statement. – Aug 7, 2024
Main photo credit: Malaysiakini
