Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadhil said the government would not compromise when it involves issues of public security.
SHAH ALAM — The Communications and Digital Ministry (KKD) will call up the Telegram service provider soon to discuss issues involving the application, especially regarding the security of users.
Minister Fahmi Fadzil said although Telegram was used by many including the National Security Council (NSC) to share information, the government would not compromise when it involved issues of public security.
“This Telegram is seen to be problematic, with all sorts of information posted there and many scammer activities (reported). But at the same time, we know it is an important channel for conveying information to the public, for example by NSC,” he told reporters after attending a People’s Townhall organised by Sinar Harian here on Monday (March 6).
Therefore, the Lembah Pantai MP said, his ministry would discuss with Telegram to help the authorities take the appropriate action under existing laws adding that not only scammers but also pornography and extremism need to be checked urgently.
“I view this matter seriously and hope Telegram would cooperate with us, as how other service providers had done before.
“I believe my ministry officials have reached out (to them), and I am waiting for some feedback soon,” he said.
He said the scam was a concerning issue, especially with several cases of identity theft using the platform to target prominent people.
“If even our former prime minister (Ismail Sabri Yaakob) could fall victim (target) to scammers on Telegram, what more the ordinary people? So, I view this as a pressing issue and will tackle it urgently,” he added. — Bernama
