KUALA LUMPUR: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, ordered all political leaders to uphold proper conduct and decorum, and to exercise caution when making public statements.
Sultan Ibrahim said politicians should refrain from provoking sensitive issues, especially ahead of election periods, which often become a platform for individuals to seek prominence and win public support.
"Avoid provocation and disputes over sensitive issues relating to the royalty, race and religion, as they can arouse public anger.
"‘Jangan kerana nila setitik, rosak susu sebelanga’ (do not let one bad deed spoil the whole endeavour),” Sultan Ibrahim said in his royal address at the investiture ceremony for Federal awards, honours and medals, held in conjunction with the King's official birthday celebration at Istana Negara, on Monday (June 1).
Also in attendance was Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Queen of Malaysia.
Among those present were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail; Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi; Cabinet ministers, including Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil; and members of the foreign diplomatic corps.
In addition, the King said that freedom of speech on social media should not be used as a platform to spread slander and hatred among the people.
Sultan Ibrahim said the situation has become more complicated with the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI) technology to generate fake news through the use of fabricated voices and images in deepfake videos on social media.
The King also expressed his disappointment that his images had been used in fake videos and content to mislead the public.
As such, His Majesty ordered the relevant authorities to continue strengthening monitoring efforts and take appropriate action to curb such activities.
Meanwhile, Sultan Ibrahim also extended his congratulations to all recipients of this year's federal awards, honours and medals.
His Majesty reminded the recipients that the awards were not meant for self-glorification, but should instead serve as an encouragement to continue serving religion, race and the country with sincerity.
"I would also like to express my deepest appreciation to all parties involved in organising today's celebration.
"The Queen and I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude for the messages of goodwill and prayers from the people, which have accompanied me every step of the way in carrying out my duties and responsibilities as Head of State.
"Let us pray that our beloved nation, Malaysia, will continue to be blessed with peace, prosperity and divine grace, and that its people will continue to live in harmony and unity,” His Majesty said.
The investiture ceremony marked the third occasion on which Sultan Ibrahim conferred Federal awards, honours and medals since His Majesty's installation as the King of Malaysia on July 20, 2024.
A total of 161 individuals received Federal awards, honours and medals in conjunction with this year's official birthday celebration of the King. – Bernama
