Bersatu man seeks court order to lift block on TikTok accounts

Na’im Brundage has previously stated that MCMC’s actions could cause a perception that it is a government tool and not an objective and fair body. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: A Bersatu Youth leader has gone to court, seeking an order to stop the government from allegedly barring access to two of his TikTok accounts.

Na’im Brundage, information chief of Bersatu Youth in Jasin, is seeking leave for a judicial review by the High Court in Kuala Lumpur of the government’s action.

He seeks a court order for the government to remove restrictions on him from accessing his TikTok accounts.

He also wants a court declaration that the action to restrict or block access to his accounts was in violation of his right to freedom of speech and equal protection of the law, under the Federal Constitution.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, two MCMC officials, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil and the government are named as respondents in the suit.

The two officials are MCMC chief network security officer Sulaiman Sultan Suhaibuddeen, who was named as the first respondent, and MCMC chairman Salim Fateh Din.

The application for leave was filed on Monday and is scheduled to be heard on July 24 by Justice Ahmad Kamal Shahid.

Na’im has asserted in an opinion piece in April that MCMC had no authority for unilaterally blocking access or closing social media accounts.

He called for an independent review of MCMC’s activities, without which, he said, “there is a great risk that MCMC will function as a government tool and not as an objective and fair body”.

Na’im was a chief media officer of the Invoke Malaysia organisation until after the 2018 general election.