JOHOR BAHRU, June 24 — Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the announcement of Pakatan Harapan’s candidates for the Johor state election (PRN) sends a clear message that the contest should remain a competition between political parties, centered on policies, performance and the future of the people, yesterday.
He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had stressed that the state election must not involve or associate other institutions, but instead be conducted in a mature and democratic manner.
“The Prime Minister has made it clear that this election should be fought on the basis of party strength, policies and track records. It must remain a contest between political parties without dragging other institutions into the political arena,” Fahmi said.
He noted that Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had confirmed that seat negotiations within Pakatan Harapan had been successfully concluded, allowing the coalition to focus entirely on mobilising its election machinery, strengthening logistics and delivering accurate information to voters across Johor.
Fahmi also highlighted Johor’s strong development record under the MADANI Government, noting that the state received the highest development allocation among states in Peninsular Malaysia.
“Johor has received a larger development allocation than states governed by Pakatan Harapan such as Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Penang. In fact, allocations channelled to Johor under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration are 43 per cent higher compared to those provided during the administration of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob,” he said.
He added that DAP Secretary-General Anthony Loke had emphasised the importance of securing victory in Johor to further strengthen political stability and ensure the Federal Government remains strong and effective.
At the same time, Fahmi said Pakatan Harapan leaders have consistently reiterated that the election should remain a contest between political parties while preserving the country’s democratic principles.
“The message is simple. We go to the ground with discipline, a proven record of service and a clear determination to continue defending the interests of the people of Johor.
“What we seek to protect is not merely electoral victory, but the people’s confidence that stability, humility and consistent service remain the strongest foundation for Johor’s future,” he said.
— MINUTESMY
![KUALA LUMPUR, JUNE 24 -- The Child Protection Code (CPC) sets out a safe, practical and responsible age verification mechanism to ensure that only eligible users are allowed to access social media platforms. Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the CPC together with the Risk Reduction Code (RMC) were published by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on May 22, and came into effect on June 1 under the Online Safety Act 2025 [Act 866]. He said both codes aim to create a safer online environment, particularly to protect children from online risks and harm. "Under the CPC, licensed service providers offering social media services are required to implement an age verification mechanism, rather than identity verification, to ensure compliance with the minimum age limit set. "Users who have reached the age of 16 are allowed to register and have social media accounts, while individuals under that age are not allowed to open or have social media accounts until they reach the specified age," he said during a question and answer session at the Dewan Rakyat, today. He was answering Syahredzan Johan's (PH-Bangi) original question regarding the purpose of implementing age verification for social media accounts, as well as measures to ensure access to personal data is restricted and deleted after use. Fahmi said the implementation of the mechanism should be done safely, practically and respectful of user privacy, in line with the requirements set out under the CPC. Social media service providers are also required to ensure that the process complies with laws relating to personal data protection, including the principles of data minimization, and purpose limitation by limiting data collection to information necessary for age verification purposes and disposing of it upon completion. He said the age verification mechanism should be implemented based on official documents issued by the Malaysian Government such as MyKad, passport, birth certificate or other documents recognised by the government. "To ensure that the age verification mechanism is not manipulated, age verification must be supported by official government records and not just self-declaration." "The CPC also allows the use of other documents recognised by the Malaysian Government, including equivalent records issued by competent authorities in other jurisdictions so that access to online protection can be provided equitably to all children regardless of their documentation status," he said. Fahmi said the implementation of age verification does not permanently prevent children from using social media, but rather postpones account ownership until they reach the age of 16, and have a more appropriate level of maturity to use the platform safely and responsibly. He said the approach known as the "Wait 16" initiative was introduced to protect children and families from online risks and harm. -- BERNAMA](https://minutesmy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/TB_Fahmi-Fadzil-Dewan-Rakyat_BERNAMA-1024x576.webp)
