Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman
SEPANG: Online games, including PlayerUnknown’s Battleground (PUBG), should not be linked to elements of violence as what happened in Christchurch, New Zealand on Friday, said Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.
“Believe me, whether or not there are (online) games (with elements of shooting), if people (suspects) already have extremist views…they will commit violence,” he told reporters after Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched the Asia GT Festival at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) here yesterday.
He further explained that the game had nothing to do with the violence which occurred (in Christchurch).
“We must give respect to the victims. Does this mean that we must ban all the games because they have some similarities to the shooting incident? I feel that there’s more to it (the Christchurch incident).
“Even when there was no PUBG, violence still occurred. So, let’s not be quick to blame it on one thing,” he said.
Syed Saddiq was quick to point out that violence should be condemned by everyone because it contradicted the humanitarian principles steadfastly held by Malaysians and communities worldwide.
The PUBG game drew the attention of netizens as it was said to be similar to the armed assault on two mosques in Christchurch on Friday, which left 50 people dead.
A few days ago Gujarat became the only state in India to ban the PUBG game after it sparked concern among parents who viewed the game as a bad influence due to its violent nature.
According to media reports, the game has been uploaded by more than 100 million users worldwide. — Bernama