Statement: Reflecting on recent community events and our path forward

At MYSverse, our mission has always been to create immersive, culturally enriched, and community-driven virtual experiences. We deeply value our diverse community, our dedicated roleplay institutions, and the trust you place in us. It is in this spirit of transparency and commitment to our community that we address recent events that transpired in April 2025.

We understand that concerns arose within our community regarding discussions about a community member, Zulkifli (Zul), the proposal for a managed state of Pahang within the wider MYSverse ecosystem, and its relationship with the MYSverse Sim universe, particularly concerning the ceremonial role of "Sultan of Pahang."

This post aims to summarise the situation, the actions we have taken, how these events reflect on us, and our unwavering commitment to learning and improving as we move forward together.

A summary of the situation

In early April 2025, discussions surrounding community member Zulkifli (Zul) and a proposal to integrate his separate project into MYSverse, with him managing a "Pahang" group, led to significant concern and misunderstanding within our community, especially among members of Istana MYSverse. The core of the confusion revolved around the nature of Zul's proposed role and whether it would impinge upon the established ceremonial structures within MYSverse Sim, specifically the role of the Sultan of Pahang.

We want to reiterate some key clarifications from the outset:

• Zulkifli (Zul) is not, and was not planned to be, the Sultan of Pahang in MYSverse Sim. The administration has consistently maintained that any ceremonial appointments must follow established community protocols and respect cultural traditions.
• The administration-endorsed Sultan-designate for Pahang within MYSverse Sim remains Garvis.
• Zul's involvement pertains to managing a Pahang-themed group in an administrative and development-focused capacity. This initiative is intended to operate under the MYSverse Network scheme by MYSverse Digital Ventures, separate from the direct operations and ceremonial institutions of MYSverse Sim.
• The unfortunate dispute and subsequent resignations from some valued Istana MYSverse members stemmed largely from misunderstandings and communication gaps regarding the scope and nature of Zul's proposed involvement and the distinction between MYSverse Sim and broader MYSverse Network initiatives.

Actions taken

Upon becoming aware of the community's concerns and the subsequent distress, the MYSverse administration took several steps:

• Engaged in extensive internal discussions
  • We reviewed the timeline of events, communications, and proposals to understand the sequence and identify points of failure.
• Clarified Zul's proposed role
  • We re-confirmed with all parties, including Zul, that his role would be managerial for a Pahang group under the MYSverse Network, focusing on development and asset integration, and would not involve him assuming the ceremonial title of Sultan of Pahang within MYSverse Sim.
• Consulted with Istana MYSverse
  • While initial consultations occurred, we acknowledge that the process and subsequent communication could have been handled with greater clarity and sensitivity.
  • The feedback from Istana MYSverse was a crucial factor in ensuring the ceremonial integrity of the Sultanate within MYSverse Sim was not compromised.
• Issued a comprehensive internal report
  • To ensure full transparency with our stakeholders, we compiled a detailed report (the "MYSverse Clarifies Recent Events Involving Istana MYSverse and Zulkifli" document dated 13 April 2025) outlining the timeline, communications, and decisions.
  • This blog post draws from that report.
• Shared the official clarification and report on the MYSverse Discord
  • The full report, along with a message from Head Administrator Yan taking responsibility on behalf of the administration, was distributed to the MYSverse Community Council and made available to the wider community on 13 April 2025 to ensure direct and timely communication.
• Reaffirmed support for Garvis
  • We have consistently reiterated our support for Garvis as the Sultan-designate for Pahang within MYSverse Sim.

How this reflects on us

This incident has been a sobering learning experience for MYSverse. We acknowledge that:

Our communication could have been better.

• Specifically, the way information regarding the new MYSverse Network initiative and Zul's potential role was disseminated, particularly to the dedicated members of Istana MYSverse, was not ideal and led to avoidable distress and misunderstanding.
• We regret the impact this had.

Clearer distinctions are needed.

• The boundaries and operational differences between MYSverse Sim (our core roleplay universe) and new strategic initiatives like the MYSverse Network (managed by MYSverse Digital Ventures) need to be more explicitly defined and communicated to the community.

Trust is paramount.

• We understand that the perception of "secret deals" or sidelining established community bodies can erode trust.
• We are committed to ensuring our processes are transparent and inclusive.
• The discussions with Zul were part of an exploratory process for a new partnership model, and all Head Administrators were kept informed; however, the external perception and impact were not managed effectively.

We value all contributions.

• We are immensely grateful for the passion and dedication of all community members, including the invaluable work of Istana MYSverse in preserving Malaysian cultural traditions within our virtual world, and the significant technical and developmental contributions made by individuals like Zul.
• This incident highlighted the need to better balance and integrate diverse contributions.

Our path forward

MYSverse is committed to evolving and strengthening our community engagement. Moving forward, we are dedicated to:

• Improving communication protocols
  • We will implement more structured and transparent communication strategies, especially when introducing new initiatives or partnerships that may interact with existing community structures.
  • This includes clearer, proactive engagement with affected stakeholders.
• Enhancing clarity on MYSverse structures
  • We will work to provide clearer documentation and ongoing communication about the different facets of the MYSverse ecosystem, including MYSverse Sim, MYSverse Digital Ventures, and the MYSverse Network.
• Refining partnership and role-definition processes
  • For any future "managed state" or similar partnership concepts under the MYSverse Network, we will establish clearer guidelines, due diligence processes, and ensure that roles, responsibilities, and boundaries are explicitly defined and understood by all parties from the outset.
• Strengthening stakeholder consultation
  • We will reinforce our commitment to consulting with relevant community bodies, like Istana MYSverse, on matters that pertain to their areas of expertise and stewardship, ensuring their voices are heard and respected.
• Rebuilding and fostering trust
  • We understand that trust is earned, and we are committed to the ongoing work of demonstrating our dedication to fairness, transparency, and the well-being of our entire community.

In conclusion

We deeply regret the distress and confusion these recent events have caused. MYSverse is more than just a platform. It is a community built by Malaysians, for everyone, and its strength lies in its people. We are grateful for the passion displayed by all involved, even in disagreement, as it underscores the deep care our members have for the MYSverse world.

We thank those who have served and continue to serve our community, including those who felt the need to step down during this period. We hope that with greater clarity and renewed commitment, we can move forward constructively. This statement, along with the detailed report, was also shared directly with our community via the MYSverse Discord to ensure transparency.

For a comprehensive understanding of the events and our internal review, the full report is available for download.

We welcome continued dialogue and are committed to making MYSverse a vibrant, respectful, and culturally rich environment for all.