Call out those who misuse social media, Ti urges M’sians

Giving his views: Ti (right) delivering his speech at the opening of the roundtable on the Rukun Negara held at the Royal Lake Club in Kuala Lumpur as Yeoh looks on.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should call out individuals and politicians who misuse social media, says Deputy National Unity Minister Senator Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker.

“We need to go back to Rukun Negara as the big problem we are facing today is the lack of courtesy and morality on social media.

“The present ecosystem allows an individual to hide behind anonymity or a false account to let go of anger by using harsh and profane words, ” he told reporters after opening the roundtable on the Rukun Negara held at the Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur, yesterday.

He said netizens should uphold and practise “kesopanan dan kesusilaan” (courtesy and morality, which is the fifth principle of the Rukun Negara).

He added that netizens had a duty to identify and single out those who went against this principle of the Rukun Negara on their social media activities.

“It is time to identify them, irrespective if they are leaders or not, fake account holders or otherwise, ” he said.

On calls by civil society for the Rukun Negara to be enacted into law to better protect harmony and unity, Ti said this was not necessary.

“We will not enact laws to enforce unity as there are adequate laws to address the issues.

“Unity comes from within and laws are not the answer, ” he said.

He added that the ministry was looking at more suitable ways to address the issue.

One of them, he noted, is to absorb the Rukun Negara into the education system at an early age.

Also present at the event was KSI Strategic Institute for Asia-Pacific president Tan Sri Michael Yeoh who commended the government’s move to include the Rukun Negara into the education system.