KUALA LUMPUR: The licence of Maestra Broadcast Sdn Bhd, the operator of Era FM, will not be suspended but the company has been fined RM250,000 following the recent controversy involving three of its radio presenters.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said it has received an appeal from the company following a notice of intent for suspension, issued on March 7.
“After reviewing the appeal, we decided not to suspend the licence of Maestra Broadcast Sdn Bhd. In making the decision, we took into consideration follow-up actions taken by the company, the apologies issued by those involved as well as the effect on radio stations Melody and Mix FM, which are operating under the same licence,” it said in a statement yesterday.
However, Maestra Broadcast has been fined RM250,000 for the offence under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for uploading offensive content on Era FM’s TikTok.
“The compound was issued after receiving the consent of the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC),” MCMC said.
“We take any action that could cause religious tension or disrupt the harmony of society seriously.
“All operators and users of platforms must be responsible to preserve racial and religious harmony in Malaysia as well as abide by the nation’s laws.”
MCMC had earlier referred to the AGC the investigation paper over the video, which had allegedly made fun of the Thaipusam kavadi ritual.
It had also recorded the statements of those involved and issued a notice of intent for the suspension of licence of the radio operator.
The three DJs, along with three other Era FM personnel, were also investigated by the police following public outrage over the controversy.
