Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today slammed what he described as "unhealthy practice of journalism", lumping news portals together with keyboard warriors and cybertroopers.

Najib lamented the advancement of the internet and social media had led to abuses including the inciting of racism and religious intolerance.

"Gone are the days when the narratives of our society are dictated by the government.

"Keyboard warriors, cybertroopers and even news portals have made the online world their 'playground', constructing their own version of 'reality' with clickbait headlines that serve their own agendas.

"This is an unhealthy practice of journalism," he said in a blog posting today.

Najib's statement came a day after the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) blocked news portal The Malaysian Insider.

Communication and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak today confirmed that among the reasons TMI was blocked was due to an article concerning Najib.

TMI had yesterday published a story entitled: 'Enough proof to charge Najib over SRC, says MACC oversight committee'.

Najib in his post said that a 'perception battle' was ongoing in the country.

"The battle of perception will be a continuous one. The Internet is an open space for the voices of the people.

"But it is up to us to stay true to the path of moderation and not fall prey to misconstrued agenda by irresponsible users," said Najib.

The prime minister urged Internet users to differentiate between truths, half-truths, lies and opinion before forming their judgement.

"We must be more cautious when sharing information on social media.

"We must continue to use the Internet and social media as platforms to promote unity and prevent them from being hijacked," he said.

'Examples of netizens unity'

Najib raised the examples of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and the MH17 over which netizens came together.

"Our netizens became the main driver for collective relief efforts and hashtags were created to spread words of encouragement.

"The social media became a part of the nation’s support system.

"It was one of the few moments where the online and real worlds aligned to serve a greater cause. It was a reflection of who we really are as a nation," he said.

Najib also highlighted his recent meeting with online personalities whom he said used their online influence for greater good.

He said among them are Dr Raja Shamri, popularly known as 'Hero Banjir' whose flood relief efforts went viral in 2014, radio presenter Revathy Bawadas Kumar who is an ambassador for organ donation and former police officer Kuan Chee Heng who leads the 95,000-member Malaysia Community Policing movement

He also mentioned Hospital UKM radiologist Dr Aznil Hisham who discusses unity with his online followers in his spare time and Teh Su Thye who is the chief executive officer of the Global Peace Foundation and a member of the committee to promote interfaith understanding and harmony.

"Their work has caught the attention of thousands of followers, inspiring them to keep their optimism and belief in our beloved country.

"We must not allow this optimism and belief to be tainted by a few bad apples. Like me, they too, are staunch believers in '1Malaysia'," he said.

Najib was investigated by the MACC over the deposits of RM42 million from state-owned SRC International and US$681 million from an offshore account into his personal bank accounts.

Najib has denied any wrongdoing and has also been cleared by the attorney-general though the MACC is appealing the decision not to prosecute.