SIBU: The government’s appeal to citizens not to harm harmony and security via social media needs to be backed up with action.
Assistant Minister of Youth Development Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said otherwise it would not yield the desired results.
He was asked on the clarion call by Deputy Defence Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakri for people not to misuse the social media.
“I certainly agree to the call by the Deputy Defence Minister for people not to use social media to threaten harmony, security and sovereignty of our country.
“But just calling out without action has taken us nowhere.
“The IT age has allowed individuals to cyber surf and connect with the world so easily.
“The government has to keep pace with this development and forewarn citizens the do’s and don’ts. Citizens need to be educated on proper usage of social media,” Abdul Karim, who is Asajaya assemblyman, noted.
On the other hand, the laws on defamation, sedition, blackmailing and others through social media must be upgraded to meet to present needs, he stressed.
“Those who trespass the norm must be penalised. Without all the penalties, it will not be easy to curtail this menace,” he said.
Assistant Minister of Public Utilities (Electricity and Telecommunications) Datuk Dr Stephen Rundi concurred with Abdul Rahman Bakri.
“Yes I agree and we ought to learn from some countries in the Middle East that has suffered catastrophe because of the social media abused by the people,” Dr Rundi said.