'Not me nor my office', says Fahmi on taking down of Rafidah's FB post

PETALING JAYA: Fahmi Fadzil says neither he nor his office instructed the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to block former minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz's Facebook post criticising the discharge of retirees and civil servants from the National Heart Institute (IJN).

"I have communicated this to Rafidah – it was not me nor my office. Take-downs are based on the social media platform's community guidelines," the Communications Minister told The Star on Saturday (March 2).

Social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok have their respective guidelines on what content can be taken down, such as those that pose a risk of harm, including physical security of persons or threats to people, among others.

On Friday (March 1), Rafidah claimed that her Facebook post criticising the discharge of retirees and civil servants from the National Heart Institute (IJN) had been blocked in Malaysia.

"We speak for the sake of our society and beloved nation, Malaysia, with no political agenda," she said, adding that she was greatly disappointed that her concerns could not be aired.

She added that her post remained accessible to the rest of the world but was not available in Malaysia.

The Health Ministry had said that the patients were only discharged from IJN once their condition had stabilised, and would be monitored for at least six months to a year for adults and one to two years for children.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said IJN and the Health Ministry have a good working relationship, even after it was corporatised.

"For a long time, the Health Ministry has referred complex cases and critical heart patients to IJN, especially to reduce congestion and long waiting periods at Health Ministry cardiac centres," he said in a Facebook post.