Use New Technologies To Deliver Message, PM Tells Ruling BN Leaders

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 21 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Najib Razak on Sunday advised ruling Barisan Nasional leaders to take advantage of new technologies in delivering their message to the people to ensure that the coalition remains relevant. Najib, who is BN chairman, said the majority of the people, particularly the young, use virtual channels including the social media as the main medium to obtain information on developments within and outside the country. "Information garnered from the virtual world can develop the minds of the new generation, and can enable us to win over the people's hearts and minds as well as feel their pulse. "As such, we must make use of the virtual world and the social media as the main vehicle to deliver our message to the people and garner feedback on the government from them," he said. Najib gave the advice when launching the inaugural 1Malaysia Social Media Convention here attended by more than 2,000 social media practitioners. At the event, Najib also launched "MyVoice", the 1Malaysia Social Media Volunteers Club comprising social media practitioners who are recognised as "the new breed of BN warriors and soldiers operating in the virtual world". The prime minister said that as the oldest party in the country, the BN could no longer bank on past successes but must be courageous to move forward and make changes so as to remain relevant, dynamic and invigorated. "We may not be successful if the people are not supportive, if the people are misguided, if the people are confused, if the people fall for denigration, falsehoods and half-truths. All these can stifle the agenda of the major transformation we want to implement. "This is where the social media players come in. These warriors and soldiers of the virtual world will go down to the ground armed with iPad, Blackberry, iPhone and laptop computers. These are the weapons of the new social media army. "We will explain to the people (all the government's positive efforts) because certain quarters are bent on confusing or misguiding the people. This is the propaganda principle. "The second rule of theirs (the opposition) is that a lie told repeatedly can be accepted as the truth. Do not take lightly the role of the social media," he said. The prime minister said he himself has become a victim of falsehoods spread by the social media. He said his daughter was alleged to have gone on a shopping spree in Perth, Australia, while he was attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting there in October when she was actually in another country at that time. "I went on the Haj pilgrimage and was given treatment accorded to a royal guest. Not that I asked for it but it was given by the King of Saudi Arabia. Then, during the 'tawaf' (circumambulation), several soldiers maintained security to facilitate the process. "(Defence Minister Dr Zahid Hamidi was also there. But the social media carried the story by erasing the other pilgrims so as to depict me as being cordoned off and the others unable to perform the 'tawaf'. "This is falsehood. A huge slander. But, they fear not great sins. This is the danger if we do not rectify all the falsehoods and slander in a general election," he said. Najib said he hoped that the members of MyVoice, the 1Malaysia social media volunteers club, would be able to correct the falsehoods and explain to the people the government's transformation agenda to ensure that it is achieved. -- BERNAMA Malaysia