Using social media in a positive and effective manner, especially among the current generation, is essential to strengthen unity among the people, said Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Corporate Communication Centre Director, Dr Jakaria Dasan.

Jakaria, who is also a senior lecturer at UMS, said misuse of social media could result in misunderstanding, therefore it is critical that members of society fulfill their respective roles and responsibilities as patriotic citizens by utilising social media as a medium of unity.

“We have to look at social media in a positive context. This technology did not exist in the past but today we all have smartphones. We used to have public telephones but even then we could not access or make contact sometimes, and also information was delayed.

“Now, we get information in the blink of an eye, so it is a huge challenge of how can we foster that unity, indeed every era has its own challenges,” Jakaria said in an interview with Bernama and Radio Television Malaysia (RTM).

Jakaria said although it can be negative when misused, people should not shy away from social media, which is experiencing phenomenal growth, but should instead master the platform as the best medium for unity.

He said that currently there are four popular social media platforms in Malaysia, which are Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and the latest, TikTok.

He said young people used to be on Facebook but the platform has now been embraced by people of all ages, while TikTok is the most popular among younger generations at the moment.

“In the context of social media and technology, we need to overcome the negative elements by increasing the presence of various parties, especially the government, in a more effective way. For example, if young people want to watch history or past events, we must provide that content,” he said.

Jakaria said there are significant differences in efforts to strengthen unity in the past and the present so they should not be compared, and it is better to keep up with the times to do so.

He said a new historic event is unfolding in Sabah, which is being widely shared on social media, namely the ‘Kembara Kenali Borneo’ tour by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah.

He said Their Majesties’ presence not only strengthened ties between Sabahans and the rest of the nation, but also showed the community’s exemplary and warm interactions with the royal family.

“We have seen viral TikTok reels of how friendly Their Majesties were to us. They (social media users) were all smiling proudly, having fun and even tearing up. This is proof that if we want to be positive, then social media can be positive too.

“It also shows Malaysia and the world the amount of development needed in Sabah to provide a better life for its people, which the royal couple were also very concerned about,” he said.

Asked about the Unity Government’s concept of MADANI Malaysia for the well-being of the people, Jakaria said it should be seen from the substance of the government’s meaning and intention, instead of just the form of the words.

“We must truly understand the essence of the intention behind the word MADANI, so that the government’s wishes, especially introduced by this Unity Government, can smoothly and successfully achieve the objectives of prospering Malaysia and its people,” he said.

The concept of Malaysia MADANI, which was envisioned by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, is based on the six core values of Sustainability, Prosperity, Innovation, Respect, Trust and Compassion.

Source: BERNAMA News Agency