Social media users in Malaysia do not have to own a company with RM50,000 paid-up capital and apply for a license just to upload videos to TikTok or YouTube, Malaysian Minister for Communication and Multimedia Saifuddin Abdullah reiterated on Friday, July 24.

This U-turn came a day after he stated that all filming in the country requires a licence.

In Saifuddin’s Friday statement, the minister explained that the principle of media freedom and individuals’ right of freedom on social media sites is supported and the Cabinet had decided to assert its stance.

The statement said: “Social media users are free to use the available platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and so on to produce and upload videos as normal, without having to apply for a licence or fear being charged by FINAS.”

FINAS is the government agency regulating the film industry.

It refers to the National Film Development Corporation.

The government is also committed to amending the National Film Development Corporation Act 1981 to keep up with the times, the minister added.

However, there is still ambiguity existing.

Friday’s statement was silent on the question of whether media agencies must apply for licences, as previously claimed by the minister.

Context

The minister said in parliament on July 23 that filming licences are compulsory, even for social media.

His statement followed a police investigation into an Al-Jazeera documentary on the treatment of illegal immigrants in Malaysia during the Covid-19 pandemic, which caused the initial furore.

Locked Up in Malaysia’s Lockdown, a documentary, was repudiated by the government.

Police investigations into the journalists who produced the show was started and Al-Jazeera’s domestic accreditation was threatened to be cancelled if it violated licensing conditions.

Opposition politicians subsequently criticised Saifuddin's statement, as his initial announcement redefined news under the Film Act.

Social media users were perplexed and mocked the requirement.

The backlash led to Saifuddin clarifying on Thursday evening, 12 hours later, that he was responding to a question by Kluang Member of Parliament Wong Shu Qi and had explained the current law governing film production in that context.

Under the licence application guidelines, applicants had to be the registered owner of a private limited company, with a paid-up capital of at least RM50,000 (US$11,700), among other requirements.

Saifuddin repeated in his Friday statement that the Perikatan Nasional government does not intend to use the FINAS Act to restrict private individuals’ freedom on social media.

His ministry, he added, had begun efforts to amend laws to ensure that they are applicable to modern times.

Top photo via Saifuddin Abdullah & Unsplash