KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — The concept of 3R which is Race, Religion and Royalty is relevant to strengthening racial unity and harmony and to combat issues and sentiments played on social media which can be detrimental to country’s security.
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Faculty of Communication and Media Studies lecturer Assoc Prof Datuk Dr Ismail Sualman said the concept should be understood by all Malaysians including politicians in line with the development of technology and the digital world now.
“In this era, we can see people frequently use social media to upload status, pictures or videos which are extremely sensitive. There is a need to remind them that they cannot just arbitrarily provoke others by overstepping aspects of 3R.
“Such matters could lead to slanders and unrest as they may unintentionally hurt the feelings of others,” he said when contacted by Bernama here today.
Ismail was commenting on the statement of the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador on the burden of police in resolving sensitive issues with their precious time which could otherwise be spent fighting major crimes in the country.
Abdul Hamid was quoted as saying that he hoped politicians would not raise sensitive issues touching on race and religion which could threaten the harmony of the country.
Ismail also shared Abdul Hamid’s view that politicians should not solely prioritise their political agenda and should focus on aspects of development as a responsibility entrusted by the people.
“During non-election time, politicians should put their attention to development and not continue to play sensitive issues which could arouse the anger of the people. The matter should be avoided, and they should instead play their roles as agents of unity,” he said.
Echoing this view was Universiti Sains Malaysia School of Social Sciences lecturer Prof Dr P. Sivamurugan who said social media users should practise moderation when commenting on any sensitive issues to preserve the peace and harmony achieved by the nation in past 63 years.
Each posting on social media is unofficial information so consumers should be wise in evaluating comments before disseminating statements with negative elements which could threaten the solidarity of the multiracial people, he said.
“We need to take time to understand, respect and accept and not to use the social media as an arena to sow hatred and create suspicions and anger against each other,” he said.
He called on politicians to become idols of the people in finding common grounds in the diversity of religions, races, languages, cultures and views.
Meanwhile, Universiti Putra Malaysia Faculty of Human Ecology lecturer Jayum Anak Jawan described the social media as a sharp weapon which could unwittingly incite sensitive issues such as racial sentiments leading to misunderstandings and prejudice among the various races and religions.
“The people have to understand a certain issue before giving comments in the cyber space. All over social media users are too zealous in sharing information which could invite misunderstandings among the people,” he said.
Therefore, Jayum who is from the Dayak Iban tribe in Sungai Assan, Sibu, Sarawak also urged politicians to avoid being the instigators of sensitive issues including provocation and slanders. — Bernama
