Government to study if Facebook ban needed, says Shabery

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government will study whether it is necessary to bar access to Facebook following cases of abuse involving the social website, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

He said his Ministry was conducting studies to gather public views on the matter.

"If the people are of the opinion that Facebook should be closed, we are prepared to look into the matter but it is a radical approach," he told reporters after closing Cheras Wanita Umno Delegates Meeting on Saturday.

However, the Umno Supreme Council member said it would be quite impossible to shut down access to the social website as there are 15 million local accounts compared to only 2,000 reports of abuse received.

"Many business people are also using Facebook, others to forge family ties and have nothing to do with politics...and the complaints received were only around 2,000. Should we completely close it down because of that? We need to relook this," he said.

Commenting on the action of an individual who insulted Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah in his Facebook site, Ahmad Shabery said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was working with the police to track down the individual.

Ii has been reported that an individual had deliberately insulted Tuanku Abdul Halim by uploading a gory picture of an accident victim superimposed with the face of the king on his Facebook page recently. - Bernama