KUALA LUMPUR: The Information Department effectively fended off rumours on the intrusion in Sabah by armed terrorists from southern Phillpines, said its director-general Datuk Ibrahim Abdul Rahman.
He said some parties took advantage of the situation to spread their propaganda with misleading information through various new technological media but the department was able to thwart their attempts.
“We will continue with various efforts including face-to-face sessions to calm the people especially those who fled their villages due to the actual developments on the ground.
“The department successfully conveyed accurate and timely information on the real situation and warded off false information spread by irresponsible parties, he told Bernama here yesterday.
He also said the incident also provided the department’s officers an opportunity to put to test their ability to discharge their duties in a time of crisis.
Ibrahim, who is also the president of the Institute of Public Relations Malaysia (IPRM), had earlier signed a memorandum of agreement (MoA) with the Institute of Professional Development, Open University Malaysia (IPD-OUM) to forge cooperation to recognise public relations programmes offered by the institute.
The programme offered on two levels of study, professional certificate and professional diploma is to improve the skills of practitioners who do not have relevant qualifications.
Ibrahim said IPRM chose IPD-OUM as the subjects offered in its programmes met the standard set by IPRM and he was confident the institute could maintain the quality of their programmes in the long-term.
OUM vice-president, Prof Dr Mansor Fadzil said the cooperation with IPRM would assist the university to produce recognised public relations practitioners.
“Building a brand in any organisation is now an important matter and through the programme offered, we will be recognising the potential of public relations as a catalyst of transformation in the organisation,” he said. — Bernama