HUMAN rights activist Siti Kasim has downplayed as “a waste of taxpayers’ money” the over-zealousness of Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming to appoint 200 ‘online ambassadors’ made up of the ministry’s staff to ward off defamation by disseminating authentic information instead.
The outspoken lawyer wondered whether such measure is to protect the ministry over its bad reputation for lack of enforcement and supervision role which resulted in numerous ‘late’, ‘sick’ and ‘abandoned’ housing projects or “to free government money” for the personal political endeavours of the Teluk Intan MP.
“Is this a form of abuse of power bestowed to them by simply spending taxpayers’ money under the pretext of managing misinformation against his ministry?” lambasted Siti Kasim in a Facebook post.
“These are not highly skilled IT people whom he calls online ambassadors a.k.a. cybertroopers. These are the Ah Beng, Ah Lian, Ahmad and Muthu who engage with opposed voices on social media to sugarcoat the wrongdoings.”
The feisty Siti Kasim who herself has stood as an independent candidate in a 10-corner fight for the Batu parliamentary by-election during the 15th General Election (GE15) is adamant that what the DAP vice-chairman has mooted is a sheer waste of money.
“When one has done lots’ of good deeds, there is no need to pay people to whitewash for you. When you pay someone to do that, simple logic tells us that only bad things need to be whitewashed. Period.”
For context, Nga said the so-called “online ambassadors” will use a language and approach that is easier for the people to understand to convey people-friendly policies introduced by the government.
Announced in conjunction with the ministry’s recent social media workshop, Nga further alluded to the fact that social media plays an important role in conveying information in this digital age.
“Short videos, live broadcasts and various platforms can be used to coordinate government information (more effectively) so that the people stand firm behind the aspirations of the Madani government. The sky has its limits.”
Below are some self-explanatory feedback from Siti Kasim’s FB post: – June 17, 2024
