Malaysian police have cautioned the public to act responsibly before uploading videos of criminal incidents on social media. Noor Hisam Nordin, director of Bukit Aman Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department, emphasized that while some recordings can aid investigations, many disrupt police work and carry legal risks. "There are recordings that can help investigations, but there are also those that ultimately disrupt investigations, especially when uploaded without understanding the legal implications and the effects on the parties involved," he said [1].
Noor Hisam also serves as Perak police chief and called on citizens to submit any crime-related information or videos directly to police authorities for proper handling. He said the police cannot be everywhere and must rely on the community's cooperation to prevent and solve crimes [1]. Police have raised concerns that videos rapidly spreading on social media can cause misunderstandings, unnecessary public pressure, and potentially skew investigation directions [2]. A covert video of an alleged police bribery case circulated widely online, prompting police to summon the videographer who admitted not understanding the severity but helped with the investigation [2].
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Ministry of Communications have pledged to boost digital literacy among social media users. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said, "We will increase digital literacy to ensure that users of social media platforms also understand that although they can upload content, in some matters, if there is an element of investigation, we do not want it to be disrupted." He also urged sensitivity toward victims’ families, especially when sharing dashcam and other graphic crime footage that may cause offense [3].
In conjunction with the 219th Police Day celebrations, police organized a town hall discussion and a crime prevention carnival at Dataran Menara Condong in Teluk Intan and Leaning Tower Square in Bandar Darul Ridzuan. These events aimed to strengthen ties between the police and the community and share information on effective crime prevention [1, 2].
On May 24, Noor Hisam reiterated the importance of public responsibility in uploading crime-related videos. He warned that careless sharing can jeopardize police investigations and carry legal consequences [1, 3].
