by Lim Chee Wei
“Media practitioners must remain uncompromising in upholding the principles of media freedom and freedom of speech, but this freedom must also be accompanied by the value of responsibility.”
This message was one of the key points articulated by my longtime acquaintance, Kuik Cheng Kang, during his speech at the 6th World Media Summit (WMS) held recently in Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur, China.
He attended the WMS as the Chief Editor of Sin Chew Daily, alongside representatives from 208 mainstream media organizations from 106 countries. This year’s theme was “Artificial Intelligence and Media Transformation.”
In his speech to about 500 participants at the WMS, Kuik reminded media practitioners to remain vigilant about the wave of damage to public stability and order caused by the spread of fake news and misinformation.
He cited the incident in Southport in the United Kingdom last July, where the deaths of three children were exploited by far-right groups to blame asylum seekers and foreign refugees. This manipulation inflamed sentiments, resulting in riots and clashes involving civilians and police.
The chaos triggered by false information and slander on social media led to the arrest of about 100 individuals by authorities in England and Northern Ireland.
This incident stands as a dark chapter, reminding the world of the severe dangers posed by the unchecked spread of fake news and slander.
Reflecting on this incident, Kuik warned that the dissemination of false information has become a major factor contributing to societal tensions, and this phenomenon is expected to escalate with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI).
As a media practitioner with over 30 years in the mass media industry, Kuik’s concerns expressed at the WMS are not new; he has repeatedly voiced worries about negative cultures that could lead to division in Malaysia’s multi-ethnic society. Like many other media practitioners, he recognises that the spread of slander and fake news through social media is worsening in the country.
A recent example involved the arrival of about 1,000 Chinese naval trainees in Penang via the Qi Jiguang Training Ship and the Jinggashan from Zhanjiang. These ships’ docking in Penang was a routine visit and did not violate diplomatic protocols, with Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan describing it as normal for countries with diplomatic relations with Malaysia.
However, this issue was manipulated and spread on social media by fanatics, claiming that the visit of Chinese naval trainees to a private school was a violation of Malaysian sovereignty, including unfounded accusations of Malaysian students waving Chinese flags, when in fact it was the Chinese nationals who held the flag during the event.
Ironically, these same fanatics remained silent when ships from other countries docked in Penang.
Clearly, these individuals selectively choose their points of contention, undermining racial unity within the country and jeopardising Malaysia’s diplomatic relations with other nations.
The views expressed here are that of an experienced media observer, Lim Chee Wei