PETALING JAYA (June 4): Gagasan Anti-Penyelewengan Selangor (GAPS) says the country should consider banning Facebook, just as Iran and China have previously done, to curb activities that threaten harmony.
Its chairman Hamidzun Khairuddin said such measures should be considered as there were quarters that spread lies, race and religious insults as well as condemning the royalty on the social networking site.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), he said, should also develop mechanisms to prevent materials that could ignite anger on the site.
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“It is unreasonable to censor the Internet, but Facebook has to be blocked before it becomes worse as many are abusing the site by doing things that are not beneficial,” he told Sinar Harian.
The paper also quoted Hamidzun expressing hopes the Home Ministry will take strong action under the Sedition Act so such incidences would not spread and destroy the country’s harmony.
Existing cyber laws, should also be tightened to curb such crime, he added.
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Majlis Belia Selangor (Selangor Youth Council) chairman Badrul Hisham Badrudin supported Hamidzun’s proposal, stating that Facebook has been abused for negative purposes, similar to how the Internet was being used to spread pornography.
“Social networking sites should be used responsibly and not to insult or slander. If Facebook is not banned, it would lead to greater disadvantages. I don’t think parents or scholars would object if the government bans Facebook,” he said.
Sinar Harian went on to identify other countries which has banned Facebook, including Syria, Vietnam, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
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