PUTRAJAYA, Nov 11 — The changing media landscape and the emergence of blogs and social media is challenging the concept of “quiet diplomacy”, Datuk Seri Najib Razak lamented today.

The prime minister said that previously, governments had more freedom to conduct diplomacy without the need to consult or inform domestic stakeholders or external parties, or as he calls it, “quiet diplomacy”.

“Journalists pursue leaders and negotiators everywhere, searching for sound bites at the expense of the discretion and confidentiality which are critical to the success of quiet diplomacy.

“The challenge is amplified by the growing influence of blogs, which often operate without much restraint, even questionable ethics and by the unprecedented speech and reach of platforms like Twitter and Facebook, where diplomatic practice is often brought before the public eye.

“And just imagine the impact of a single individual like the allegations made by Edward Snowden, what impact it has created in the world, conducting diplomacy away from the glare of publicity is, therefore becoming even more challenging,” he said during his keynote address at the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council/ ISIS Malaysia: Dialogue on Diversity, Diplomacy and Peace here at the Marriott Hotel.

Analysts had said the newly re-elected Umno president was also a victim of prominent bloggers aligned to his party, which have become increasingly vocal with their criticism against Najib for apparently seeking to court the non-Malay electorate. They also pressed him to recognise the role the Malays played in Barisan Nasional’s Election 2013 win.

Today, Najib stressed that there is a role for “quiet diplomacy” in the prevention of conflict, the containment of hostilities and peaceful resolution of disputes.

“And there is no reason that it cannot co-exist with a more open and responsive foreign policy.

“Our task is to understand when greater openness and engagement will yield the best results, and when to focus on the quiet negotiation that has proven so successful in the past,” Najib said.

Yesterday, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said it was now time to censor Internet content due to rampant abuse in the distribution of pornography and questionable news and slander.

He said although the government had promised not to restrict Internet use at the outset, the changing environment warranted it as the spread of offensive material through the medium could threaten national security.