BFM Radio fined RM10,000 over Reza Aslan ‘Allah’ interview

By admin-s Last updated Dec 16, 2014

(The Malaysian Insider) – Business radio station BFM has been fined RM10,000 by regulators for airing an interview on Malaysia’s “Allah” controversy with Iranian-American Muslim scholar Reza Azlan on October 21 last year, reflecting the stringent media laws in the country.

The Malaysian Insider learnt that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) fined BFM under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for violating the special licence conditions of Individual Content Applications Service Provider (CASP-I) which stipulates the regulator’s approval must be obtained before any live or delayed telecast.

MCMC strategic communication adviser Sheikh Raffie Abd Rahman confirmed the action on BFM to The Malaysian Insider.

“Yes, we have compounded,” he said in a WhatsApp message when contacted in Kuala Lumpur.

It is not clear which conditions in the CASP-I have been violated, but in addition to this, BFM has also broken Section 206(3) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 on compliance with licence conditions.

A source from the radio station told The Malaysian Insider that an appeal would be made with the MCMC, which regulates all broadcasters and those in the online space.

The action came months after Malaysia’s press freedom index slid to a historic low of 147 out of 180 countries in the 2014 World Press Freedom Index released in February.