Simmering tensions over the assassination of a Hamas political leader, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim accused Meta Platforms of acting cowardly after his Facebook post on the assassination was taken down.
Anwar posted about his phone conversation with a Hamas official, offering his condolences over Haniyeh’s demise in Iran.
Following the removal of the phone recording, the Malaysian PM posted another statement on Facebook criticizing its behavior.
“Let this serve as a clear and unequivocal message to Meta: Cease this display of cowardice,” Anwar said on Facebook.
Muslim-majority Malaysia is a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause, and Anwar, who met Haniyeh in Qatar in May, has previously said he has good relations with Hamas’s political leadership.
The incident is Malaysia’s latest run-in with Meta about pulling down Hamas-related content. Meta has designated the Palestinian group a “dangerous organization” and bans content praising it.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil stated that the Government of Malaysia has sought an explanation from Meta. However, at the moment, it was unclear whether the posts were automatically removed or taken down following a complaint.
Meta Platforms designated Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement that governs Gaza, as a “dangerous organization.” As a result, the platform banned content praising the group. Meta uses a mix of automated detection and human review to remove or label graphic visuals.
Hamas political leader Haniyeh had also visited Malaysia over the years as the political leader of Hamas.
Meanwhile, Malaysia stated it has a good political relationship with Hamas’s political wing.
The Malaysian government previously complained to Meta over its decision to remove content, including media coverage of the Malaysian PM’s last meeting with Haniyeh. However, that was later restored.
Malaysia has been advocating a two-state solution to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
Meanwhile, political experts raised concerns that the conflict may escalate following the assassination of Hamas leader.
