Practice freedom of speech within M'sian norms - PM

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 (Bernama) -- Freedom of speech must be suited and match Malaysian norms which are synonymous with good manners and noble values, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said this way, the freedom to express differences in opinions could be done wisely without inviting suspicions or prejudice.

"For democracy to truly function as it should, the people and media practitioners must uphold noble values so there are none among us who deviate (from these norms) or resort to abuse of power," he said in addressing the Malaysian Journalists Night 2013 here today.

He said demands for freedom of speech in the country not only arose due to globalisation but gained impetus because of access to the Internet, the people's higher socio-economic standing as well as education level.

He stressed that Malaysians wanted and could capitalise on freedom of speech by disseminating information that is accurate and did not lead to confusion.

"Freedom of speech must be suited and match Malaysian norms which are synonymous with good manners and noble values. Only then can we discuss important issues by way of dialogue when there is a difference in opinion among different groups," he said.

Najib said the landscape of the media and media organisations in the country had undergone rapid changes with the introduction of online media to complement the existing print and electronic media.

Najib is world's 11th most popular political figure, first in Msia on social media

KUALA TERENGGANU: Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been listed as the world's 11th most popular political leader and Malaysia's most popular based on the findings of an internet monitoring site, Socialbakers.

Commenting on the report before attending the gathering of Rela members at the Islamic Civilisation Centre here today, the prime minister said 11 had always been his favourite number.

Meanwhile, Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the report showed that Najib was popular among youths who increasingly engaged in social media.
"This reflects the prime minister is not only popular in Malaysia, but also around the world," he told Bernama.

According to Socialbakers (www.socialbakers.com), Najib's Twitter (@NajibRazak) recorded the highest number of followers at 1.5 million with the number of followers registered last month at 100,312.

In Malaysia, Najib was trailed by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein's Twitter in the second place with 477,893 followers followed by PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, third, with 278,535 followers and Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, fourth, with 264,734 followers.

As for Facebook, Najib recorded the second highest "likes" after former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.  -- BERNAMA

Sosialbakers has listed Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the world's 11th most popular political leader and Malaysia's most popular.

(Source: http://www.nst.com.my)

Social media has opened up government and politics

The internet is driving change in every part of our lives. It is a giant, ever-changing repository of information that anyone with a connection can access, enabling instant communication between individuals and groups across nations and continents. And it is unleashing creativity and collaboration in ways that have never before been possible.

Keeping on top of these trends is hugely important, so I was delighted to speak to the World Bloggers and Social Media Summit in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. I also had the opportunity to speak with Rina Azmira, my one millionth Facebook follower and her parents, as well as unveil my new Instagram account, which you can follow here.

I may be biased but I truly believe Malaysia is a perfect place for conferences like this. The combination of a solid tech infrastructure with our naturally sociable personalities has put us amongst the most avid users of social media. 

A recent study even found that Malaysia, along with Brazil, has the highest Twitter penetration in the world.

With social media, everyone can be a publisher of content no matter how technically minded or wealthy they are. It is naturally very open and collaborative by nature, and people – especially ‘digital natives’ who have grown up with the internet – now have higher expectations for openness in all spheres of life.

Najib: Social media a double-edged sword

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has singled out social media as a double-edged sword for Barisan Nasional as the coalition prepares for the general election.

The Prime Minister and Barisan chairman said that with the advent of ICT, social media had turned into something that was “good” as well as a “bane”.

“(It) could be our Achilles heel as well,” he told anchor Fareed Zakaria in a CNN televised session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

He acknowledged that voters nowadays had a higher level of expectations, were more educated and critical, and as such, the Government needed to do things differently.

“We need to realise people are not going to give their votes to you based on how much you have done in the past.

“No one can deny the fact that Umno and Barisan are the ones who fought for independence and developed the country but today people are saying that was in the past, we want to know what you can do for us in the future,” he said.

If he was re-elected as Prime Minister, Najib pledged that he would do “everything and anything possible” to make Malaysia a fully developed nation by 2020.