MELAKA – The social media campaign for the Melaka state election remains under control, with no complaints of legal violations received so far, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said.
However, he urged the public to be cautious of artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content and misinformation, particularly regarding polling times, and to refer to official sources.
"So far, I have not received any complaints referred to me by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Therefore, the situation on social media appears to be relatively under control.
"Always check reliable and official sources. For information on the election process, the Election Commission (EC) is the only authoritative source. The public should also consult mainstream media,” he said.
He told reporters this after attending a walkabout with Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the Ayer Molek state seat, Muhammad Hakimin Mokhtar, at the Ayer Molek night market here today.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Advisory Council chairman Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was also present.
Commenting on allegations that some television stations favoured certain political parties during the Melaka election campaign, Fahmi said he had neither interfered with nor issued directives to any media organisation.
Instead, he had left it to the Malaysian Media Council to review reports by news organisations allegedly providing unbalanced coverage.
"Many media organisations are private companies. While we may express our views, I have not contacted any media organisation during the Melaka state election campaign to determine the proportion of coverage, its content or anything of that nature. I have not given any directives.
"But we have asked the Malaysian Media Council to examine the practices of any media organisation that may not be providing balanced coverage and advise them accordingly. We leave it to the council to look into the matter,” he said.
The Election Commission has set this Saturday as polling day for the Melaka state election.
For the latest updates on the 16th Melaka state election, visit https://election.bernama.com/prn/melaka/2026. –BERNAMA