Malaysia summons Meta over removed PM posts about Hamas leader

By AFP

The Malaysian government said Monday it had met with Meta representatives to demand an apology and explanation as to why posts about the death of a Hamas leader were removed from the prime minister's social media accounts.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's office said his posts on Facebook and Instagram about Ismail Haniyeh's death had been removed last week by parent company Meta.

The political leader of Palestinian armed group Hamas was killed in Tehran on Wednesday, in an attack blamed on Israel, which has not directly commented on it.

Anwar's posts included a video showing the premier on a phone call with a Hamas official, offering his condolences.

On Instagram, there was a note by Meta, shared by Anwar, that the posts were taken down because of association with "dangerous individuals and organizations."

Israel, the United States and the European Union consider Hamas a terrorist organisation.

In a statement on Monday, the Malaysian Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said it "views Meta's actions as discriminatory, unjust, and a blatant suppression of free expression."

"It is also seen as an affront to the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people in their pursuit of justice and human rights."

The PMO said it was demanding a public apology and a detailed explanation from Meta.

Anwar accused the tech giant of "cowardice" last week for removing his posts.

Malaysian authorities have previously chided Meta for removing posts as well as for not taking down what officials deemed as harmful content fast enough.

Meta did not immediately respond to AFP requests for comment on Monday.

Last year, Human Rights Watch said "Meta's policies and practices were silencing voices in support of Palestine and Palestinian human rights on Instagram and Facebook."

Anwar, who met Haniyeh in Qatar in May, has defended Malaysia's ties with the Palestinian group, which launched a deadly attack against Israel on October 7 that triggered the war in Gaza.

Anwar stressed during a visit to Germany in March that Malaysia's links were with Hamas's political wing and not with its military arm.