Malaysia summons Meta over PM Anwar’s removed Facebook, Instagram posts about Hamas leader
- 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 Malaysian government said on 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”.
