KUALA LUMPUR: The Madani Community across the country needs to play an active role in helping to channel verified and accurate information as well as ensure online safety.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said this role must be played in light of the problems faced on social media platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp where it is open to misuse.
"I found that there are several platforms that, from an external perspective, seem alright without any issues. However, upon investigation and delving deeper, aside from receiving complaints about what is being circulated on social media, the complaints received by these platforms can be quite problematic."
Fahmi drew an example from the case of a man who sold explicit videos of himself engaging in sexual activities with over 20 women on the Telegram application.
He said that such platforms like Telegram are easily accessible to all parties including children.
"Not to mention social media platforms like Facebook and Telegram are used for online gambling activities... we have received numerous complaints, including from members of parliament, regarding the misuse of the Facebook advertising platform.
"There were claims that (former badminton world No. 1 Datuk) Lee Chong Wei is selling products and that there are advertisements that said the prime minister is said to be selling insurance products.
"Even though platforms that exist today are beneficial, they require more in-depth scrutiny from the authorities where immediate action is needed," he said at a briefing on digital economy centres (PEDi) with the Madani community programme.
The Madani Community is a multiracial volunteer body managed by the Information Department with 1,878 units established across the country.