• The incident marks the latest clash between Malaysia’s government and the firm over blocked content.
• Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has sought an explanation from Meta.
• Meta has designated Hamas as a “dangerous organization” and bans content praising the group.

On Thursday, Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim accused Meta Platforms of cowardice after the company removed his Facebook post about the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. This incident marks the latest clash between his government and the firm over blocked content.

Muslim-majority Malaysia supports the Palestinian cause, and Anwar posted a video recording of his phone call with a Hamas official to offer condolences over Haniyeh’s death. This post was later removed. Haniyeh’s assassination in Iran on Wednesday has intensified concerns that the Gaza conflict might escalate into a broader Middle East war.

Anwar, who met Haniyeh in Qatar in May, stated that he maintains good relations with the Hamas political leadership but has no military connections. On his Facebook page, Anwar posted, “Let this serve as a clear and unequivocal message to Meta: Cease this display of cowardice.” Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.

Malaysia’s Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said they had sought an explanation from Meta. It remains unclear whether the posts were automatically removed or taken down after a complaint. Meta has designated Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist movement governing Gaza, as a “dangerous organization” and bans content praising the group. The company uses both automated detection and human review to remove or label graphic content.

Malaysia has previously complained to Meta about the removal of content, including local media coverage of Anwar’s last meeting with Haniyeh, which was later restored. At the time, Meta stated it was not deliberately suppressing voices on its Facebook platform or restricting content supporting Palestinians. Malaysia has long advocated for a two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.

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