Mapim, NGOs launch campaign to fight defamation on social media

ALOR SETAR - The Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organisation (Mapim) together with several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have taken the initiative to set up an Anti-Defamation Secretariat (SAF) to combat the spread of defamatory information on social media.

Mapim president Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid said the secretariat will carry out campaigns to educate the public about slanderous information as well as monitor information spread on social media and will report to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for further action to be taken.

"Our work will be carried out through the publication of leaflets, forums, seminars, lectures, tours, discourses and dialogues. We will also try to help MCMC to monitor, if we see defamation anywhere we will find its source and report it to MCMC.

"We will take action up to (lodging) police reports but education programmes are very important in educating the public about the dangers of defamation," he told reporters at the Tabayyun Cultural Community Development seminar here, today.

He said among the NGOs involved in the initiative were the Pertubuhan Sukarelawan Rakyat Aman (Suara), the Darul Aman Citizens' Civil Initiative and Tabayyun Media Network.

Mohd Azmi added that the campaign, which targets the young and students, will start in Kedah before being implemented in other states including Penang, Perak, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.

"Defamation and the spread of false information have a huge impact that can cause tension, confusion, prejudice, cruelty and hostility and we must curb this firmly," he said. - BERNAMA