Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil urges ministry agencies to deliver accurate, clear and timely information to the public and counter misinformation
KOTA KINABALU: Agencies under the Communications Ministry must play their roles to the best of their ability to ensure the public receives accurate, reliable and easily understood information, Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said.
He said clear communication was vital to help people fully understand government policies, programmes and matters of public interest while preventing confusion and misinterpretation.
This includes the Royal Commission of Inquiry report on Lembaga Tabung Haji, which he said would be presented tomorrow and contained several sensitive issues.
“I do not want to stand before the Creator and be unable to account for my actions. It is my duty, and that of the ministry, to speak the truth and make every effort to communicate it. And whenever we encounter falsehoods, slander or unverified claims, we have a responsibility to establish and explain the facts,” he said at the ministry’s Excellence Service Awards ceremony for Sabah and Labuan here today.
Present were ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah, senior division secretary (Management) Datuk Aminurrahim Mohamed and Information Department (JAPEN) director-general Erwin Khairul Ahmad.
Fahmi said agencies, including the JAPEN, Community Communications Department (K-KOM), Radio Television Malaysia (RTM), and Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama), were key pillars in communicating government information to the public.
They must also respond quickly when information is unclear or causes public confusion, he said.
He noted that the ministry has established a Quick Response Team, led by deputy secretary-general (Strategic Communications and Creative Industry) Datuk Bahria Mohd Tamil, to produce accessible and easily understood content.
Fahmi also asked JAPEN and J-KOM to explore more effective communication methods, including face-to-face engagement and WhatsApp groups, alongside formal channels and social media.
Even well-intentioned government policies or programmes could be misunderstood if they were not explained accurately and comprehensively, he added.
