KOTA KINABALU: The worrying bullying culture in schools in Sabah and the country must be viewed and addressed seriously, says Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
"I personally feel very disappointed and deeply saddened by what has happened. This is a situation that should not have occurred,” he said.
"What is even more disheartening is that this culture of bullying among students has also taken place in religious schools! Society has begun to question, and I, too, want to know what exactly has happened,” he said.
Stating this at the opening of the Du'at Convention at the Sabah International Convention Centre here on Tuesday (Aug 26), Hajiji asked how could the culture of bullying exist within an institution that bears the symbol of the sanctity of Islam.
"Where did it go wrong?" he asked, believing that the Islamic religious affairs convention was the right avenue to reflect on and evaluate weaknesses, correct shortcomings not only in schools but also in all organisations.
On related matters, he said the spread of false propaganda, including fake news and slander, a malicious tactic used by anti-government groups aimed at demeaning or destroying the reputation of certain leaders as the state election draws near, was concerning.
"Apart from political issues, there are also other matters that have been sensationalised, such as those concerning the economy, security, health, the environment, and the 3R (Race, Religion and Royalty), where even the institution of the Yang Di-Pertua Negeri has been attacked and belittled," said Hajiji.
Also not spared was the tragic incident involving the bullying culture among school children, which has resulted in the loss of lives, he said.
“This has been sensationalised by some irresponsible netizens, to the extent that they resorted to lying, spreading fake news, and slandering targeted individuals,” he added.
The Chief Minister said that the rapid explosion of information technology in this century has opened up a borderless world, shrinking the world into what is called The Global Village, where everything is literally at one's fingertips.
The challenge, Hajiji said, has grown even greater with the creation of sophisticated applications known as artificial intelligence (AI), designed to help ease tasks and work in this modern age.
"However, behind the benefits and conveniences of such advanced technologies, they can also pose serious threats and challenges to us, especially Muslims, if misused or weaponised to produce false infographics, audio or videos with the intent to destabilise Muslims worldwide," he said.
He said abuse of these applications was the major challenge faced in this century and so it must be remembered that the digital world, including internet technology, was constantly and rapidly evolving.
Hajiji said new inventions were created daily by scientists and programmers to the point where ordinary users often struggle to keep up.
He said the real concern lies with the younger and future generations of this country.
“The reality is that advanced technologies will dominate human life as developed nations race to create gadgets and more, not only to control the global market but also to influence and dominate the minds and thinking of humankind.” he said.
“This is where parents, educators, preachers, leaders of organisations and community leaders have a role to play to guide and protect our young,” advised Hajiji.
