Media literacy vital to keep absurd claims from spreading, says MP

KUALA LUMPUR: The public must be empowered with media literacy, or the nation could face a situation where some may think the term "kopi peng" was coined by Chin Peng, says a government backbencher.

In debating Budget 2024 at the committee stage, Tan Hong Pin (PH-Bakri) said the public would previously get their information from sources such as the radio, television or newspapers.

“Things have changed. If you head into rural areas now, the communities there get their information from social media.

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"It is vital that the government does something about this,” he said in Parliament on Wednesday (Nov 22).

Tan said the echo chamber caused by social media platforms' algorithms could expose users to content that would only strengthen their perceptions of an issue.

“This creates a situation where facts and logic can be sidestepped or ignored.

“Even worse, contents with elements of hate speech and slander can be spread.

"This is done by irresponsible parties, (and) one day, the claim that 'kopi peng was coined by Chin Peng' could come up,” he said.

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Although there was already legislation and measures to curb the spread of fake news and hate speech, Tan stressed it would be more important to create a media-literate society.

“Sometimes, removing content takes time, and the information would have spread by then,” he added.

On Nov 14, Kepala Batas MP Siti Mastura Muhammad was summoned by the police to give her statement over her claims that DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng had family ties to the late Communist Party of Malaya leader Chin Peng.

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During a campaign speech recently, Siti Mastura also claimed Lim and his wife were related to other DAP leaders such as Anthony Loke, Teresa Kok, Nga Kor Ming and Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham.

She also claimed that DAP stalwart Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang is a cousin of former Singapore prime minister, the late Lee Kuan Yew.