Credit : Bernama
MELAKA, November 12, 2026 – The social media campaign for the 16th Melaka state election remains under control, with no complaints of legal violations received so far, Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said on Thursday.
He nevertheless urged the public to be cautious about artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content and misinformation, particularly concerning polling times, and to rely only on official sources for information about the election.
“So far, I have not received any complaints referred to me by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Therefore, the situation on social media appears to be relatively under control,” he said, as reported by Bernama.
“Always check reliable and official sources. For information on the election process, the Election Commission (EC) is the only authoritative source. The public should also consult mainstream media,” he added.
Fahmi was speaking to reporters after attending a walkabout at the Ayer Molek night market with Pakatan Harapan’s candidate for the Ayer Molek state seat, Muhammad Hakimin Mokhtar. Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Advisory Council chairman Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was also present.
No directives to media organisations
Responding to allegations that some television stations had favoured certain political parties during the campaign, Fahmi said he had neither interfered with nor issued directives to any media organisation. Instead, he said, the matter had been left to the Malaysian Media Council to review reports by any news organisation deemed to lack balance.
“Many media organisations are private companies. While we may express our views, I have not contacted any media organisation during the Melaka state election campaign to determine the proportion of coverage, its content, or anything of that nature. I have not given any directives,” he said.
“But we have asked the Malaysian Media Council to examine the practices of any media organisation that may not be providing balanced coverage and advise them accordingly. We leave it to the council to look into the matter,” he added.
Final hours before polling
The minister’s reminder comes as the 14-day campaign period draws to a close. Under the EC’s schedule, campaigning ends at 11.59pm on Friday, November 13, 2026, and polling takes place on Saturday, November 14, 2026.
A total of 687,697 voters are eligible to vote in the election to fill the 28 seats in the Melaka State Legislative Assembly. Of these, 12,531 military personnel and their spouses, as well as police personnel, cast their ballots during early voting on Tuesday, November 10. Bernama reported that 240 polling centres with 1,213 voting streams have been set up across the state and will be open from 8am to 6pm on polling day.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has forecast cloudy mornings and afternoon thunderstorms across all three districts in Melaka on polling day, and has advised voters to head to their polling centres early in the morning and to bring an umbrella.
Earlier in the campaign, the EC said it had stepped up the cyber security of its systems following an alleged cyberattack on its website on the day of early voting, and that it was working with MCMC and other relevant authorities on the matter.
Voters seeking details of their polling centres and voting streams are advised to refer to the EC’s official channels.
Our thanks to Bernama for sharing this story with LNA.
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