Albert Tei ups pressure on 'coward' Fahmi, demands explanation for TikTok account removals

Vocal activist Albert Tei is again demanding an explanation from Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil as to why his TikTok account – which focuses on highlighting Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's failure to implement reforms – has been blocked.

Tei has tried at least four times to meet Fahmi, but said the minister has been evading him, including an incident last week when Fahmi used the back entrance to avoid the ministry's lobby, where several activists were gathered.

The incident on June 5 was captured on video and posted by Tei on his TikTok and Facebook accounts called "Reformati", garnering millions of views within a day.

The footage showed Tei and his group of supporters entering the ministry's lobby in Putrajaya, his fourth attempt to meet Fahmi regarding the unexplained closure of his social media accounts.

Officers later informed Tei that Fahmi had left the building, and his vehicle was suddenly no longer present.

This prompted an outburst from Tei, who shouted "penakut" (coward) and "tikus" (mouse), saying Fahmi had slipped out of the building because he lacked the courage to meet him.

"He slipped out through the back door. I was inside for only ten minutes, and the officer there told me he (Fahmi) asked his driver to take the car to the basement, pick him up, and leave. What kind of communications minister is this?" Tei said today.

Tei, who said his second TikTok account has also been blocked, is convinced it was not TikTok's doing, as his videos can still be accessed using a virtual private network (VPN), which bypasses local internet providers subject to government censorship.

"The account simply vanished. It cannot be accessed in Malaysia. But it can be viewed using a VPN. This means my videos' content does not violate TikTok's terms."

TikTok is one of only three social media platforms – the others being WeChat and Telegram – that have agreed to the new licensing regime introduced by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the agency under Fahmi's purview.

Tei insists on an explanation from the government.

"What have I done wrong? Why did you block my TikTok account without any notice or warning?

"If I have done something wrong, whether in words or in the form of slander or sedition, investigate me, arrest me, charge me in court. Let the court decide if I am right or wrong," he added.

Tei's lawyer, Mahajoth Singh, said letters would be sent to MCMC as well as TikTok and Meta for an explanation regarding the blocking of his client's accounts.

Tei said Fahmi has no authority to block social media accounts of individuals for criticising the government.

"He has no authority to block accounts, any social media account, or any Malaysian citizen. I am very disappointed. Within a month, he has twice blocked my TikTok account.

"This behaviour is insolent and unjust. It is worse than the communist system. Even the communists do not go that far."

Tei is just one among a growing number of government critics whose social media platforms have been blocked.

In April, prominent social media influencer Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah, better known as Ratu Naga, staged a show of defiance outside the MCMC headquarters after she was summoned for questioning for sharing a news report.

Ratu slammed Fahmi and MCMC chairman Salim Fateh Din, challenging them to take her to court.

"If I said something wrong, then sue me, but what did you do? You used MCMC, you used the police to disrupt my life.

"Do you think the police and MCMC have no other work? They also have jobs, to go after scammers, and the police have to manage high crime rates," she said.

She said the constant harassment from MCMC has taken an emotional toll on her.

"You have pushed me to the wall, as if we are all merely playthings to you."