Madani volunteer group must help channel verified, accurate info, says Comms Minister

SEREMBAN: The Madani Community volunteer group needs to play an active role in helping to channel verified and accurate information in addition to continuously promoting government initiatives at the grassroots level, says Fahmi Fadzil.

The Communications and Digital Minister said the community must also help the government explain and deal with issues, slander and fake news that come in various forms, especially in the run-up to the upcoming state elections.

"For instance, today Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) announced that it was maintaining the OPR (Overnight Policy Rate) at 3%, so I am urging the Madani Community who are on social media, including Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, and the latest, Threads, to disseminate this information to the grassroots.

"Don’t let people believe talk that the OPR rate had gone up and so on. And so, the Madani Community, when there are announcements and good news from the government, make sure it reaches the people,” he said when officiating at the state-level "Kita Madani (We are Madani)" programme here Thursday (July 7).

The Madani Community is a multiracial volunteer body managed by the Information Department with 1,878 units established across the country, 108 of which are in Negri Sembilan involving 36 state constituencies.

Fahmi said the government always encourages community participation in efforts to deliver authentic, transparent and useful information to the people to create an informed society.

"All of the government's efforts and initiatives to create an informed community will not be successful without close cooperation from the local community, we also ask them to be active in conveying information to the people,” he said.

Meanwhile, Fahmi said Malaysians need to nurture the concepts of Research, Responsibility and Report, fundamentals which must be applied before information is shared on social media.

"This is because content in the form of speculation, accusations and insults can have a big (negative) impact on the country,” he said.

Separately, Fahmi again reminded the people to avoid touching on the 3Rs of religion, race and royalty, especially with the state polls around the corner.

He said this was important to avoid divisions in the community.

"There may be differences in political views, but do not let this affect unity,” he said. - Bernama