The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission will be looking into the AI-generated pornographic content of emails allegedly sent to three PKR MPs to blackmail them, says communications minister Fahmi Fadzil.
The MPs – Rafizi Ramli (Pandan), Wong Chen (Subang) and Taufiq Johari (Sungai Petani) -said they each received an email from an unknown sender, demanding US$100,000 to prevent the videos from being circulated publicly
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here today, Fahmi said the matter is being handled by the police.
“MCMC will assist as the technical agency, but the police are the lead (agency). I have no further information about this case at this time,” he said.
Wong Chen told FMT yesterday a police report was lodged immediately after he received the email. He said he would release a statement after speaking to the police tomorrow.
Rafizi, the former PKR deputy president, said the email sent to him included a blurry screenshot of a video and a QR code for transferring the money. He said the screenshot was of a doctored video in which his image had been superimposed.
He suggested that the primary aim of the email may have been to hack his electronic devices, noting that he has faced multiple hacking attempts over the past nine months.
In a statement this morning, Taufiq revealed that he had received a similar email on Friday.
Fahmi to meet Meta over online gambling ads
Fahmi said he will meet representatives from Meta on Sept 22 to discuss licensing issues and the proliferation of online gambling ads on Facebook.
He said most of the content removed from the platform so far was linked to gambling promotions, which remain easily accessible.
“Our complaint has been consistent: if a gambling ad is paid for with a credit card, Facebook should also block the account used to buy it. But Facebook has refused to do this,” he said.
He stressed that the government would continue engaging Meta through dialogue rather than punitive action.
“We do not intend to ban or shut them down. Many people benefit from these platforms economically and socially, but we will not allow criminals to misuse them for profit, disrupt harmony, or commit online crimes,” he said.
