DA NANG, Sept 21 — Malaysia is ready to share information about the initiatives taken by the Ministry of Communications and Digital (KKD) to counter and curb the spread of fake news and inaccurate information at the 16th Conference of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) and Related Meetings, which begins tomorrow.
Minister Fahmi Fadzil said KKD has taken these initiatives through various agencies under its purview, including the Sebenarnya.my platform managed by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the MyCheck platform.
“Among the hot topics to be discussed by the ministers is the issue of fake news.
“I believe this is a good opportunity for me, together with KKD Secreraty-General (Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa), to collaborate and strengthen relations (among ASEAN member states),” he told Bernama here today upon arrival at the Furama Resort Danang, the venue for the 16th AMRI.
Fahmi said social media now plays a significant role in the dissemination of information, and ASEAN member states are working to ensure that the information spread to their people is accurate, true, and aligned with their respective government policies.
The minister also viewed the AMRI conference as an opportunity for Malaysia to gain a deeper understanding of these issues and to learn from the experiences of other countries in the region in addressing the challenge of fake news.
Furthermore, he said Malaysia can also learn from the experiences of member states that are facing significant changes, especially in the realm of social media, which is affecting advertising revenue and impacting media companies and organisations in their respective countries.
“Each country has its own approach. I believe that this is a platform to also discuss issues relating to social media,” he said.
The 16th AMRI, themed ‘Media: From Information to Knowledge for a Resilient and Responsive ASEAN’, will officially kick off tomorrow.
Fahmi will lead the Malaysian delegation at the conference, which among others, focuses on tackling disinformation and combating fake news to build a more resilient and responsive ASEAN Community.
Also in the delegation are the Department of Information (Japen) Director of Media and Corporate Communication Datuk E. Sivabalan, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) Deputy Editor-in-Chief (News Service) Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin as well as other high-ranking officials from KKD and its agencies.
