The Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia has launched a campaign warning Malaysians with a stern message: Creating, posting, sharing, transmitting, and distributing a potentially offensive message, video, or photograph can affect you for life.
In the world of media convergence, almost everyone in the world is connected to an electronic device – Internet, mobile phone, radio, and television. Any material communicated via an electronic medium has the capacity to go viral and reach millions of people globally.
“It’s time for people, especially the youth, to learn some hard lessons about what they create, post and distribute,” says Ahmad Izham Omar, CMCF Chairman (pictured).
“Even a text message or email that provokes the sensitivities of an individual or community can rebound and scar the sender for life.”
The nationwide campaign themed, ‘What you do sticks with you’, aims to promote good behaviour and values while encouraging self-regulation.
“Our objective is not to curb creativity or freedom of expression, but rather for the public to exercise good judgment in adhering to the values of our country,” asserts Izham. “Ask yourself if the message, video, or photograph being distributed is authentic, factually accurate, and does not hurt anyone. The public must be vigilant or risk the consequence of their actions.”
Izham notes that in the past year, the public used the electronic media irresponsibly to share their thoughts about the General Election, the disappearance of MH370, sexual escapades on a beach front, and religious differences.
Izham advises the public to refer to the CMCF Content Code as a guide to understand the parameters of admissible content. Anyone hurt by offensive material can lodge a complaint to CMCF’s Complaints Bureau for advice and further action. Complaints can be submitted online at or .
For the duration of the campaign, CMCF plans to organise and participate in seminars, road shows, and forums with private and public associations to disseminate information about media etiquette and self-responsibility. CMCF recently worked jointly with MCMC on the “Click smartly” campaign targeting students who spend time on social media platforms, the Internet, and mobile phones.
If media and individual citizen’s don’t self regulate, the CMCF threatens escalation, form education to legislation. “With technological advances, the opportunities to create and share material will become more prevalent in the near future. We can expect the law governing electronic media to be tightened if the situation gets uncontrollable,” says Izham.
Izham remarks that Malaysians currently enjoy a great deal of latitude in the electronic media environment. “We have a favourable open sky policy currently, and we are hopeful that people do not abuse the privilege for their own gains.”
The campaign is only the starting point of a long-haul journey. “Youth are particularly vulnerable to offensive material, and we need to continuously work to educate them on the merits of acting sensibly. In creating any form of content, we must be assured that it does not offend, disparage, ridicule, or hurt an individual or our communities,” says Izham.
CMCF is currently running two promotional videos on television and social media platforms, and public service announcements on radio stations in support of the campaign.