‘Don’t let fake accounts run wild online,’ Sarawak deputy minister tells MCMC

Datuk Abdullah Saidol

By Shikin Louis

KUCHING, July 13: Deputy Minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department (Corporate Affairs, Information and UKAS) Datuk Abdullah Saidol has urged the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to take stronger action against the spread of fake social media accounts, describing the trend as a growing concern that can be used to spread negative and defamatory content online.

Abdullah said MCMC, as the regulator of social media platforms, should monitor and act against users who operate under false identities or fake names.

“In some cases, a person may use another individual’s photograph while operating under a completely different name. Accounts such as these tend to be associated with negative behaviour, including defamatory remarks and harmful comments.

“They may make offensive remarks while hiding behind private or anonymous accounts, and then quickly deactivate or change the account after posting such content. This is a matter that should be monitored more closely,” he said during a press conference after chairing a meeting on Sarawak Media Conference (SMeC) 2026 at Baitulmakmur building today.

Responding to a reporter’s query on the emergence of new social media pages that reuse content produced by media organisations without proper credit, Abdullah said the issue was closely linked to the integrity and governance aspects under this year’s SMEC theme, “Media, Trust and Governance in a Rapidly Evolving Digital World”.

He said many journalists had expressed disappointment when their photographs, visuals and news reports were taken and reused without proper acknowledgement.

“You are recognised journalists. You understand the ethics, the dos and don’ts of the profession. But what about those who claim to be journalists among netizens? They may not understand that when they use a photograph, they have to credit the person or organisation that produced it.

“Whether the photograph comes from TVS, RTM or another media organisation, the source must be credited and acknowledged,” he said.

He also raised concerns over the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to combine materials from different sources without proper attribution.

“Sometimes, with AI, people take a story from one source, another story from another source, and another from somewhere else, then process it until it becomes a story. It is very difficult to manage or regulate this,” he said.

At the same time, Abdullah called for fair treatment of genuine content creators whose social media accounts were removed despite years of effort building their audience.

He said many creators producing positive content on food, culture and Sarawak-related topics had worked hard to gain large followings.

“It is not easy to build up followers, whether 100,000 or 500,000. Some creators have worked very hard for two or three years to reach that level, and suddenly their accounts disappear,” he said.

Abdullah acknowledged that accounts found to have violated community guidelines should be subject to appropriate action, but he urged regulators and platform operators to ensure that affected creators receive fair treatment and due consideration. — DayakDaily