CYBERJAYA – The Madani Community plays a crucial role in assisting the entire government machinery to deliver authentic and accurate information to the community, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
At the launch of the National Month and the Fly the Jalur Gemilang programme today, Fahmi, who is also the government spokesman, highlighted the need for the Madani Community to leverage its established relationship with the Information Department (Japen), to effectively disseminate information about the government’s agenda.
He added that the Madani Community retreat, held in conjunction with the launch ceremony, brought together nearly 2,000 community representatives from across Peninsular Malaysia, and also involved a question-and-answer session with panellists.
“Our Madani Community members are from the grassroots. Earlier, during the question-and-answer session, they provided valuable insights, which we will relay to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also finance minister, to address various aspects of concern,” Fahmi said.
He also called on the Madani Community to continue gathering and reporting issues affecting the public, in line with the decree issued by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim for the government to continue efforts to alleviate the public’s burdens.
The Madani Community is a multiracial volunteer body, managed by Japen, with the aim of fostering noble values and nationhood among the public.
Fahmi reiterated the government’s firm stance on addressing social media-related issues, including the proliferation of fake news, scams and, more recently, cyberbullying, which has tragically led to a person taking their own life.
He directed Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission chairman Tan Sri Mohamad Salim Fateh Din to take decisive action to prevent these social media problems from escalating further.
“Tan Sri Mohamad Salim,” Fahmi said, addressing him in the presence of Anwar, Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali and other cabinet members, “I am instructing you to do something.
“From now on, all social media platforms must assume responsibility, and we will take decisive action in the coming days. Let’s work together to ensure safety, particularly for children and families. Rest assured, the government’s goal is to make our internet not only more affordable and accessible but also safer for everyone,” Fahmi said.
On the economic front, Fahmi highlighted that the country’s economic indicators remained promising, expressing optimism that Malaysia’s gross domestic product would exceed the initial growth forecast, of 4-5%, for this year.
This optimism follows the Statistics Department’s projection, which estimates 5.8% growth in the national economy for the second quarter of 2024, up from 4.2% in the previous quarter.
“Malaysia is also on track to attract more investment and trade,” Fahmi added.
“The recent upgrade of Malaysia’s rating by JP Morgan, to ‘neutral’ from ‘underweight’, after nearly six years, underscores the effectiveness of the government’s reform efforts, and the renewed confidence of investors,” he said. – July 21, 2024