An informed society should balance the use of social media and freedom of speech responsibly and with moderation, Communications and Multimedia Ministry secretary-general Sharifah Zarah Syed Ahmad says.

These approaches remain the biggest challenge, as a careful consideration between freedom of expression and the greater good of society is required, Sharifah Zarah said.

"We should use our new-found voices responsibly and with moderation. We should also remember that 'with great power comes great responsibility'," she said in her opening remarks at the Enculturing Informed Society Forum held in conjunction with the World Development Information Day in Cyberjaya today.

She pointed out that all the digital technologies became useless or potentially destructive if they were not harnessed and managed properly.

Sharifah Zarah said although social media offered the promise for societies to be better informed than before, merely having resources and access to information was still not enough for an informed society to flourish.

For the information to be meaningful, she added, it must be driven by independence, excellence and diversity.

"This pace of change has to be considered, not only from the technological point of view, but also from the human perspective.

"We have to consider how fast people can change and adapt to these technologies. Therefore, the more we digitise, the more we need to humanise," she stressed.

Sharifah Zarah said the government had to focus on the emotional aspect as much as the functional to connect with the public mind-set, which is dependent on the level of trust in sharing and exchanging of information.

"With enculturing and informed society being one of the core thrusts, I assure you that the ministry will always strive to be a trusted voice that acts with integrity and professionalism at all times," she said.

About 200 participants attended the one-day forum to discuss and share information related to the informed society and the roles and responsibilities of society.

The forum is organised by the Communications and Multimedia Ministry in collaboration with the Malaysian National Commission for Unesco.

- Bernama