Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak noted that of late, bloggers and social media users had been acting quite recklessly in what they posted on the internet. ― Picture by Saw Siow Feng

KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 ― The government will step in and restore order to the internet if bloggers and social media users fail to act responsibly.

“Don't allow it to come to a stage where action needs to be taken against abusers of the internet and social media,” warned Communications and Multimedia minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak.

In this regard, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) may be asked to monitor social media.

“After all, if you're educated enough to use social media, then you should be educated enough to differentiate between right and wrong,” Salleh said on his blog at sskeruak.blogspot.my.

He noted that of late, bloggers and social media users had been acting quite recklessly in what they posted on the internet.

“This has intensified probably due to the upcoming general election where temperatures and sentiments are running high. We must not allow tempers to jeopardise the peace, harmony and stability of Malaysia,” he said.

He emphasised, notwithstanding the laws that controlled the abuse of social media such as the publishing of fake news, seditious and libellous postings and so on, bloggers and social media users should be sensible and responsible enough to practice self-censorship.

“Why wait until the government needs to act or clampdown on the abuse of the internet? Malaysians know what's socially acceptable and what's offensive,” he added. ― Bernama