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Big Tech is also likely to avoid negotiating for regulations with ASEAN as a union, given their “divide and conquer” process to preserving income and the income they have put into complying with rules in specific jurisdictions, the analysts said.
At a seminar on Malaysia’s efforts to make the internet safer last Friday ( Jan 17 ), Malaysia’s Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said a “key agenda ” for her country ’s ASEAN chairmanship is to engage the bloc and “unify ” member states ’ legal frameworks on internet regulation.
“And of training, we use it to really deal with the software provider. We believe that that can be more powerful, ” she said at the seminar held at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies ( RSIS ) in Singapore.
While Teo noted Malaysia’s efforts to make systems more responsible for on-line safety through its licensing requirement for all social media and internet communication websites with at least eight million registered users in the country, she believes “many more difficulties ” lie ahead.
“We are just a 34 million people, and it will be difficult for smaller countries to really engage with the software giant, ” she added.
“ But if ASEAN is able to work as a alliance, then we believe that our bargaining power will be much, much larger. ”
Her remarks came just a few days after Malaysia actually assumed the ASEAN chair on Jan 1.
ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Last August, in an appointment with Malay news agency Bernama, Teo had urged ASEAN countries to join in an effort to improve their negotiating power with social media giants and effectively combat the growing issue of online crime in the region.
While Teo had then hoped this issue would be on the “main agenda ” at last year’s ASEAN Summit under the chairmanship of Laos, the chairman ’s statement released on Oct 9 touched on online job scams and cybercrime but made no mention of social media platforms.
In recent months, Malaysia has embarked on a growing push to regulate Big Tech, starting with its class licensing requirement that kicked in on Jan 1.
It has also passed harsher penalties and wider powers in amending its Communications and Multimedia Act, attracting backlash from civil society groups, and is mulling the introduction of an Online Safety Act that critics fear could further empower the suppression of online content.
Malaysia’s renewed effort to unite ASEAN members ’ legal frameworks against Big Tech is “very ambitious, although not impossible”, said Shafizan Mohamed, an associate professor of communications at the International Islamic University Malaysia.
“ I think as the ASEAN chair, it’s a good opportunity for Malaysia to take this lead, to create a momentum for a regional approach against Big Tech, ” she told CNA.
Benjamin Loh, a senior lecturer in media and communication at Taylor’s University, said Malaysia has a “good shot ” at succeeding in its efforts.
“ While ASEAN often struggles to find common ground due to differences in governing styles and ideologies, there appears to be growing authoritarianism across the region which sees social media as a common threat, ” he told CNA.
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Nineteen testimony including four family members and 11 medical workers were interviewed, he said.
“We found that the jobs carried out were as specified in the list of jobs and job descriptions, with nothing extending beyond her range or outside her area of duties, ” added Borhan, a former director-general of Public Service.
Commenting on Tay’s shift to Sabah, Borhan said Tay was a “city girl” who had moved to a new place with a distinct culture all by herself, reported Free Malaysia Now.
He said there was no proof that an app to get posted to West Malaysia was ignored and Tay did not report any appeal with the state health department or ministry’s human resources department to be in the island.
Tay’s walk from the better-resourced Kuala Lumpur Hospital to Lahad Datu Hospital in Sabah contributed tremendously to the stress and pressure she faced, said Dzulkefly.
“According to the experts leading the committee, the bullying claims did not meet the definition of abuse but were related to elements such as severe work force that mentally affected the later Dr Tay, ” he said, as quoted by Malay Mail.
The minister said the taskforce’s findings have been conveyed to Tay’s family.
“That’s the finding ( after ) three months ( of ) investigation, ” Tay’s brother, YS Tay, wrote on Facebook on Wednesday as he shared a Chinese-language news outlet’s post.
“ I fully understand how difficult it must be for the family to process these findings, ” Dzulkefly said, adding that he is committed to addressing bullying in the workplace.
The independent task force has also submitted several recommendations to the health ministry, including for the provision of better support for healthcare workers posted away from home to help them adapt to different cultures and environments, said Borhan.
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