META apologized for the removal of several posts by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on its social media platforms paying tribute to a Hamas leader who was killed last month.
“We apologize for the operational error in which content from the prime minister’s Facebook and Instagram Pages was removed, and the content has been restored with the appropriate news labels,” Meta Platforms Inc. said in a statement.
Ibrahim has condemned the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in his post. Malaysia does not recognize Israel as a sovereign state and the two countries do not have diplomatic relations.
In May, Ibrahim met with a Hamas delegation led by Haniyeh during his visit to Qatar, showing support for the group designated a terrorist organization by the US.
On Tuesday, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) also expressed regret over the suspension of a Facebook live broadcast from the RTM news account covering a rally in support of Palestine, on August 4.
Meta said in a statement that the prime minister’s live broadcast of the rally was halted due to an intellectual property rights complaint related to the music. Tuan Ibrahim was speaking at a pro-Palestine rally in Kuala Lumpur attended by thousands of people.
Read also: Malaysian PM defends Hamas ties on trip to Germany
“The PMO considers Meta’s action as discriminatory, unfair and a clear suppression of freedom of expression. It is also considered an affront to the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people in search of justice and human rights,” the statement said.
The PMO criticized Meta’s content moderation as discriminatory and suppressive of freedom of expression and demanded a detailed explanation and public apology, which the company issued on Tuesday.
On Monday, Meta officials met with the PMO. The government said the suspension “is also considered an affront to the legitimate struggle of the Palestinian people in search of justice and human rights.”
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said a short-range projectile was the cause of Haniyeh’s death and accused the US of supporting the attack, which it blamed on Israel. Haniyeh was in Iran to attend the inauguration of Iran’s newly elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
The killing has raised fears it could trigger a wider conflict in the region and force Iran and Israel into direct confrontation if Iran retaliates. (independent/Z-3)
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