It is not often that we respond to detractors who feel that the Social Media Chambers could have done better or should have influenced who the winners of an open competition should be.

We believe that a competition should be open to all and the winners should win based on their own merit.  

However, on this occasion we take this opportunity to engage with those who have come out to strongly criticise the chambers and our guest-of-honour solely because he was asked to hand out an award to one of the winners.

It  is sad that such people have resorted to negative  labelling and partisanship. These individuals have failed to grasp the role of a minister in a democracy.

Be accessible to all Malaysians

A minister, unlike his party position, has to serve and be accessible to all Malaysians regardless of their political afflation. He cannot pick and choose which events to attend, based on who is attending or who is receiving an award.

We therefore salute the Home Affairs Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi for being generous and very professional enough to rise above his personal feelings with regard to the recipient and his duty as a minister and our guest-of-honour.  

Malaysia is a better place today because we have always had ministers and political leaders who know when to come together for all Malaysians, when to rise above partisan politics. We believe, too, that this is in keeping with the prime minister’s urging for national reconciliation.  

The Social Media Chambers of Malaysia is a non-governmental organisation and led by an executive committee made up of Malaysians of various professions, social media practitioners and of different political persuasions.  

A non-partisan movement

Although some of our members may be members of different political parties in Malaysia, the majority of our members do not belong to any party nor profess to be interested in partisan politics per se.

It is for this reason and our founding values that the Social Media Chambers of Malaysia is a non-partisan movement solely for the education, engagement and advocacy of responsible social

media utilisation.  

The Social Media Week Awards is an annual event where awards are given out to those who have excelled in various categories. The 2014 event is the third of its series, having started in 2012.

Award winners are chosen by those who vote online for their favourite blogs, portals and corporate bodies involved in various social media platforms. The Social Media Chambers has no role in influencing anybody on who the eventual winners will be.  

We are grateful to Zahid Hamidi for accepting our invitation to officially open and hand out the awards during the Social Media Week Awards 2014.