Salleh: Character assassination part of war of perception

comments     Bernama     Published     Updated

The war of perception taking place now is mainly associated with character assassination based on political and organisational interests, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak.

He said this war could trigger panic and chaos as it undermined the trust and confidence of the people towards the targeted individual.

The war of perception involved abuse of the Internet and social media to spread slander, emotional statements, provocations and excessive intimidation that went beyond the scope of rational thinking, he said.

“This situation gives rise to disagreements, suspicions and frictions that can lead to disunity of the people and undermine national stability and security,” he said when opening the ‘Bicara Persada’ forum at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Bangi today.

The forum, entitled ‘War of Perception: Challenges to Unity of the People’, featured Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom; PAS ulama central council information secretary Dr Khairuddin Aman Razali; UKM deputy vice-chancellor of student affairs and alumni Prof Dr Noor Aziah Mohd Awal; Malay Consultative Council secretary Dr Hasan Mad and UKM student representatives council chairperson Muhammad Farhan Khairuddin.

Salleh said that despite much explanation, the war of perception continued unabated because people were more inclined to trust what they found on social media.

“The influence of the war of perception confuses the people when it comes to interpreting the freedom of democracy, human rights and freedom of expression,” he said.

In such a situation, people should practise rational thinking in the context of their responsibilities as individuals towards the community and the country, he added.

Salleh said he hoped that the forum, featuring prominent figures from various backgrounds, could shed some light on the implementation of strategic approaches in addressing the war of perception.

- Bernama



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