Fahmi: MCMC to call up TikTok over ‘PK Battle' trend, after concerned parents decry trend's wastefulness, expense
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the ministry is taking the matter seriously, particularly regarding reports of children spending large sums of money on in-app gifts simply to participate in the trend.
He said an official directive was issued yesterday morning, and the ministry expects TikTok representatives to respond soon, no later than this week.
'This issue has been reported by the media, and we are taking it seriously. Since TikTok has obtained its operating licence here, they need to come forward to provide an explanation and state what steps can be taken to resolve this problem,' he told a press conference after visiting the Kubang Semang National Information Dissemination Centre (NADI) here today.
Also present were Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa and Information Department director-general Julina Johan.
Fahmi also stressed that the government is committed to protecting minors from inappropriate content on social media platforms.
'That is why we have consistently said that children under 13 should not have accounts on TikTok, Instagram, or any other social media platform. They are highly impressionable and can easily be drawn into trends like PK Battle without understanding the consequences,' he said.
On May 28, a non-governmental organisation, Pertubuhan Damai Revolusi Masyarakat, submitted a memorandum to Istana Negara urging royal intervention to ban the PK Battle feature in Malaysia. The group also called on the government to consider the request, arguing that the trend undermines social values and promotes cyberbullying and humiliation.
On another development, Fahmi said that efforts to establish the Malaysian Media Council (MMM) are ongoing, though certain financial processes may take time.
He said he had tasked Mohamad Fauzi with identifying the most effective mechanisms to ensure the smooth disbursement of funds to the council, even under the newly enforced law, MMM will also be able to source funding from any legal channel.
'I hope that within the next one to two months, we'll be able to hold at least a few preliminary meetings. However, within six months of its formation, the council's founding board must conduct a selection process to appoint the office bearers,' he said.
According to Fahmi, the government has yet to hold detailed discussions on the matter so as to give the founding board space to assess several key issues.
A formal dialogue may be held in the coming weeks, he said.
The establishment of MMM was made possible after the Malaysian Media Council Bill was passed by the Dewan Rakyat on Feb 26 and the Dewan Negara on March 19, before it received the royal assent and subsequently gazetted.
Fahmi announced the law's enforcement beginning June 14, in conjunction with the 2025 National Journalists' Day (HAWANA) celebrations, and described it as a landmark media reform that will significantly benefit journalists and media professionals across the country. — Bernama
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