King wants govt to crack down on online menace

Summary

• Agong expresses concern over cyber crimes, particularly the spread of disinformation and sedition online, as it causes disunity.

• Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar urges govt to crack down on it and reminds public not to fall victim to online scams.

• His Majesty also calls on govt to do what it takes to defend the country’s sovereignty “even if it’s for a piece of rock in the middle of the ocean”.

PARLIAMENT | The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar wants the federal government to be tougher on those who spread disinformation and sedition online.

In his opening address in Parliament, the king expressed concern over such activities, which have caused disunity among his subjects.

"I would like to remind the public to be careful online so they would not fall victim to cyber crimes such as scams and online thefts.

"I am also concerned with the culture of spreading sedition and slander via social media and other online platforms, which has caused confusion among the rakyat, turned them against each other and created disunity.

"Thus, the government has to be strict in curbing this culture and be proactive by providing accurate and trustworthy information," Sultan Ibrahim said.

His decree marks the beginning of this year's Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara sittings, which will commence tomorrow with lawmakers debating the royal address.

Defending sovereignty

The king also called on the government to do whatever it takes to defend the country's sovereignty, even if it’s only for "a piece of rock in the middle of the ocean".

"The government has to be intelligent in maintaining its diplomatic relations with all parties and increase its strategic partnerships to address regional and international issues.

"Strict actions must be taken to defend the country's sovereignty and interests, either via the diplomatic channel, legal actions, or defence moves, even if it is for a piece of rock in the middle of the ocean," His Majesty said.

The remarks appeared to be a veiled jab at what happened to Pulau Batu Puteh off Johor, which the International Court of Justice awarded ownership to Singapore.

Certain quarters have blamed former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad over the loss for withdrawing Malaysia's appeal on the court decision.

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