Don’t chase votes by exploiting race, religion or royalty, Teo tells parties

KULAI, October 25 — Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching has cautioned all political parties, candidates, and supporters to refrain from exploiting race, religion, and royalty (3R) issues during election campaigns. Utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) technology for generating digital content is inevitable, but Teo advised for responsible use and emphasized the importance of digital literacy, fact-checking, and avoiding content that could harm societal harmony.

She stressed that sensitive matters regarding religion, race, and the royal institution should never be addressed, regardless of the election context. Teo addressed the need for internet coverage ahead of the Melaka and Sarawak state elections, stating that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) conducts on-site audits to ensure services meet mandatory standards.

The required download speed must not fall below 10 megabits per second (Mbps), and the MCMC is prepared to conduct audits in response to complaints from the public or elected representatives. Teo also encouraged citizens to utilize the MCMC Nexus platform to report or submit speed test results to aid in gathering more accurate data.

Additionally, she announced that 220 residents in her Kulai parliamentary constituency would benefit from the Deepavali food basket programme, funded by her parliamentary allocation and Maxis' corporate social responsibility initiative. The aid would eventually extend to approximately 370 more recipients.