KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 — Digital life skills should be included in the school curricula to help students better navigate the pitfalls of the internet, said the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF).

In an interview with Malay Mail, CMCF chairman Datuk Ahmad Izham Omar said the basic do’s and don’ts must be instilled in youths to prepare them for today’s world.

"It is important to teach the younger generation the importance of having civic consciousness in the digital world. We may talk to the Education Ministry about having these skills embedded in the curriculum.

"Apart from having a strong nuclear household, this ought to help children make better decisions when it comes to their internet presence,” he said at CMCF headquarters at Phileo Damansara.

He said this is one of the possible steps towards media literacy, especially in the new age where fake news is an increasing problem.

CMCF, a self-regulatory body under the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), has advocated the importance of media literacy since its inception in 2001.

Ahmad Izham defined media literacy as being educated about the ecosystem of the media, understanding its players and how information is being transmitted.

"As a technology user, you need to understand and possess the ability to know how much truth lies in whatever information you are reading at any given time.

"If you are naive and illiterate when it comes to assessing the media, you might take things at face value and there are real dangers in doing so,” he told Malay Mail.

Ahmad Izham said the dangers range from implicating oneself or others legally, to psychological effects that may eventually result in loss of lives.

"For instance, during the initial stage of the MH370 disappearance, there were fake messages saying the plane has been found in Penang. Can you imagine how the family of the passengers would have felt?” he questioned, referring to the Malaysia Airlines flight that vanished in 2014.

"Not just that. If you don’t do your own research, you might believe the wrong thing and start fighting for a cause that is totally wrong. You may end up wasting your time by falsely accusing others.”

He added among the false information that went viral over the years include claims on "miraculous” traditional medicine that could cure various kinds of illnesses.

"I personally have gotten into an argument with my father before when he believed a message about this person who apparently has done research in Tanzanian forest and found a new medical herb that could get you off of your prescriptions for good.

"When you see messages like this being forwarded, suddenly everyone will rush to buy or seek this person’s ‘medical expertise’ solely based on claims.

"When in actuality, if you disregard your doctor’s advice or neglect to take your prescription, you can put your own self at risk,” he said.

Ahmad Izham advised users to check first the authenticity of new information before forwarding it to their friends and families, as most people in the current age would typically do.

"Before you click that forward button, think again. Is this information accurate? If I do this, would it benefit someone? Would it add values to the life of others? If it is a joke, mention that it is a joke and not to be taken seriously,” he said.

CMCF executive director Mohd Mustaffa Fazil Mohd Abdan said there are many credible sources for internet users to verify information before rushing to share it with their contacts.

This include sebenarnya.my — a one-stop centre for Malaysians to corroborate information received through online platforms such as instant messaging services, blogs, websites, and more.

"It depends. For fact checking or to contribute facts, you can go to sebenarnya.my. For news verification, you can go to credible portals like Bernama or other news agencies.

"Don’t even go to Wikipedia to fact-check because the content still could not be verified 100 per cent.

"However, if it is health or medicinal drugs-related, for instance, you can personally call up the Health Ministry,” he said.

Mustaffa said the public should utilise the hotline or help centers made available by government agencies to the maximum.

"People don’t know how interactive government agencies are now. They are very responsive on their hotlines or with the email responses. This feature is not only to be used by industry players but also the public,” he said.

In a bid to combat dissemination of fake news, the government on April 2 gazetted the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 that includes punishments of up to six years in prison and a maximum fine of RM500,000.