Ministry ponders proposal for social websites

THE Information, Communications and Culture Ministry is considering a proposal to register content published in social websites in an effort to resolve various issues that had cropped up of late.
Its Deputy Minister Datuk Joseph Salang said this in reply to a supplementary question from Senator Muhamad Yusof Husin at the Dewan Negara yesterday.
Muhamad had asked about measures the Government had taken to register websites or blogsites.
Salang said Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim had said on Wednesday that there was a need to set up a social media council.
“It should not be assumed that the council is a government initiative to curb Internet activities,” Salang said.
Dr Rais had said that the council, with the involvement of social media practitioners, could become a medium for the discussion of relevant issues.
To a question by Khoo Soo Seang who wanted to know what steps would be taken in addressing the symptoms of finger-pointing in cyberspace without strong evidence, Salang said his ministry was cooperating with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to educate the public on social media issues faced by Internet users.
He said the ministry had carried out various efforts and activities to create awareness on the positive use of the Internet and social websites.
The campaigns, he said, have been carried out in several locations since July 1, including in Permatang Pauh, Penang.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said the chairman and members of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) to investigate problems related to illegal immigrants in Sabah would be named soon.
“The Government is waiting for the green light to make the announcement as only the Yang di-Pertuan Agong can make the appointment,” he said in response to a question from Senator Datuk Paul Kong Sing Chu.
Liew said members of the RCI would be made up of people with a deep understanding of the Sabah’s illegal immigrant issue and its terms of reference were in the final state of formulation.
The setting up of the RCI was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak last month. — Bernama