Ills of social media is that anyone can become a publisher and post anything they want, without the conscious guide of consequences resulting in their uploads. Digital is not forgiving nor forgetting, what is pushed online stays online, just as the many 30 something who published their antics on Facebook only to have their bosses or potential employers check their page and turn them away. In the hands of the uninitiated the tool can turn into a harmful weapon for others and themselves. Evident clearly in the case of the Sarawakian who took to Facebook to post insulting comments on Islam and the Prophet.
Ayea Yea, the owner of the Facebook account has been found guilty of committing the crime and has been sentenced to 10 and 10 months years in prison under the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998. The Act confines those who are seen to cause disharmony, disunity or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will or prejudicing the maintenance of harmony or unity on the grounds of religion can and will be punished. Four other social media account owners were also charged by the police with the crime.
Digital laws are difficult to regulate and monitor, the crime committed by Ayea could possibly have been the spur of the moment aftereffect (to much tuak) which he surely regrets now, but what goes online as we mentioned earlier cant be reversed. If there were no social media platform, the Sarawakian would be a free man today, because there would be no outlet for him to share his darkest thoughts that could harm the ‘nation’ or disrupt unity. What he did was not acceptable we all agree, but the punishment does not commensurate the crime either, 10 years is long time. There is also the question of Facebook being scot-free of any wrong doing, in normal circumstances if it was published in traditional media the news organisation, the editor and the writer will be all hauled up and charged. How does the law work here, wouldn’t the law be more effective if both were found guilty?
If it was posted by a 8 year old who had heard if from a friend, what would the punishment be? And yes 8 year old’s have Facebook, Instagram and Twitter account nowadays, and they access it everyday with or without supervision.
This is just one case in Malaysia we see the real damage Facebook has caused the family of the man, the Muslim community and the nation, there are thousands of cases like this in many parts of the world with punishment and crimes being committed on a daily basis because of social media. Its time call a spade a spade and start making these behemoths accountable for their services.
