Senate president Abu Zahar Ujang claimed that new media such as blogs, videos, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and online news portals today are often abused, leading to disunity in society.

Abu Zahar said that the misuse of new media occurs when there is a tendency to spread inaccurate news which pits citizens against each other and threatens unity among Malaysians.

"This cannot be overlooked, for if we in a multiracial society, do not know how to give due consideration to the fate of society, this can destroy the country," he said.

Abu Zahar said this in a speech while closing the dialogue programme at University Kebangsaan Malaysia in Bangi, on how unrestrained perception is a threat to national unity.

Before this, Malaysiakini had reported that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had spoken out against what he said to be unhealthy journalistic practices, lumping it together with cyber troopers and keyboard warriors.

Abu Zahar added that the development of the internet and social media today has caused a lot of issues including inciting racism as well as religious intolerance.

Meanwhile Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Keruak who spoke at the same event earlier, warned that unrestrained views spread on the internet could bring disunity and threaten national stability and security.

According to Salleh, this deluge is due to the abuse of the internet and social media.