Fahmi urges Media Council to work with social media platforms against fake news ahead of state polls

KUALA PILAH, June 13 — The Malaysian Media Council (MMC) has been urged to meet with social media platforms to coordinate measures against fake news and misleading content ahead of the state elections in Johor and Negeri Sembilan.

Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the move is vital amid growing concerns over the spread of misinformation, including the misuse of local media logos to generate fake graphics and reports on social media.

“I discussed with the MMC recently, and they expressed apprehension over the same issue: fake news and the misuse of local media logos to generate fabricated graphics.

“Insya-Allah, I am ready to cooperate with the MMC and our media friends to ensure that the spread of fake news on social media is minimised or completely eradicated,” he told reporters after launching the AI@Nadi programme at the Seri Menanti National Information Dissemination Centre here today.

He added that a joint initiative with the MMC to tackle fake news during the state polls will be announced at the upcoming National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA) celebration in Penang.

Fahmi said social media platforms must also play a more proactive role by taking immediate action against user-reported fake content, especially regarding elections.

“Certain platforms, such as TikTok, already feature a dedicated reporting button for election misinformation or false content regarding elections,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said 62 Nadi centres are operating in Negeri Sembilan, running various community programmes such as the simultaneous state-wide rollout of the WIRA AI initiative today, aimed at providing early exposure to the ethical and effective use of AI, including prompting skills, particularly for students.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) provides RM19 million a year to sustain nationwide Nadi operations and digital literacy initiatives, the minister noted.

He added that the government aims to produce at least one prompt engineer at every Nadi centre nationwide to strengthen local digital capabilities.

“We do not want to be mere consumers of foreign applications; instead, we want to produce local AI developers, especially among high school leavers,” he said.

He said Nadi will continue to serve as an official government information hub for initiatives such as BUDI MADANI, Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) and Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR).

He said the government is also working with the Information Department to ensure accurate information is disseminated nationwide through the Nadi network.

He added that Nadi facilities will also be opened to media practitioners as field workstations to ease reporting and news gathering at the grassroots level, including during state polls. — Bernama