Malaysia is under threat from “perception terrorism” being waged through new media, says Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak.
Salleh said the unregulated frontiers of new media and social media networks has opened the floodgates to acts of character assassination against the nation’s leaders, and for lies and propaganda against the Federal Government to proliferate amongst the rakyat.
“In the context of Malaysia, it’s obvious how the manipulation of new media has been co-opted into carrying out character assassination and to cause instability and chaos,” he said at a seminar entitled “The Role Of New Media in Fighting Againts Perception Terrorism” at the Malaysian Communications an Multimedia Commssion (MCMC) today.
“These situations arise when national leaders are burdened with ungrounded allegations. These allegations are then manipulated through social media, even though clarification after clarification have been put forth,” Salleh added, as quoted by Astro Awani.
The federal minister, appointed in the wake of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s recent Cabinet shakeup, also said that perception was no longer confined to an individual’s personal opinion now that access to online channels and social networks are readily accessible.
“Let’s not spread information whose veracity and accuracy we ourselves are not sure of. Don’t be easily influenced by the manipulations of irresponsible parties, especially in matters that could jeopardise the stability, security, and harmony of the nation.”
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