‘Be wary of harmful material online’

0

Dennis (fourth right) and other guests cut cakes during the pre-christmas gathering. Baru is at third left.

LONG LAMA, Baram: Internet users, particularly youths, have been told to practise self-censorship and discipline when browsing for information and knowledge online.

In saying this, Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau feels it is important to shield oneself from harmful material available on the internet, such as pornography and extremism.

“By typing the keywords on the keypad of your phone, tablet, laptop or computer, you are able to access and browse any website, including those with pornographic content as well as racial and religious extremism,” he said at a combined Borneo Evangelical Mission (BEM) Churches pre-Christmas gathering.

The event was jointly organised with Telang Usan District Office at BEM Long Lama here yesterday.

“It is important for the young to avoid such websites as the contents can cause moral and spiritual decay,” he added.

Dennis said in this context, it is important for parents to monitor their children’s online activities, particularly when it comes to social media.

“I know it is hard and impossible to stop them from browsing such websites as it is part of human nature to be curious.

“But as parents, we should monitor their activities even though they might consider it as an invasion of their privacy.”

On the gathering, the assemblyman commended both combined BEM churches and the District Office for jointly organising the event, which aims to foster unity, goodwill and better understanding among people of different racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds.

Telang Usan District Officer Baru Tai, representatives from the Roman Catholic church, as well as Muslim and Buddhist community in Long Lama were among those present.