Uniting Muslims in cyber age
ARNAZ M. KHAIRUL KUALA LUMPUR arnaz@nst.com.my
THE Khayr Ummah Conference (KUC) kicked off yesterday with a day of insightful views and discussions, bringing together speakers from various sectors representing Asean nations and Saudi Arabia.
The two-day conference, held at the grand ballroom of the Intercontinental Hotel here, will be graced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today, with scholars and professionals engaging in intellectual discourse.
Organised by the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) of the Communications and Multimedia Ministry, the conference brought together views aimed mainly at bringing the ummah forward in an age of diverse challenges.
Jasa think tank panel member Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz addressed cyber security concerns and the need for a unified move to protect and strengthen the ummah in an ever-changing world, while also pointing out the dangers of false news that threaten global security.
“In countering the negative impact of social media, we can’t depend solely on education. Campaigning alone is not sufficient,” he said.
Faisal said the problem had to be tackled by using a more integrated and diversified approach, including the enforcement and implementation of laws.
“We have laws which serve to control cyber crimes. But there are persistent issues surrounding the identification of criminals and those committing cyber crimes."
He said changes and even amendments to legislation need to be made to effectively combat cyber crimes.
“There are amendments, such as those made to the Evidence Act 1950, that serve this purpose, but there has to be enforcement.
In terms of analysing cases, Faisal said there were stumbling blocks, which hindered enforcement.
He added that investigations often reached a dead-end due to issues relating to evidence and prosecution.
“For that we have the Cyber Court, which deals with cyber crimes and enforces cyber laws, which is why the judges and those involved in enforcement can be trained to handle such cases more efficiently.”
He said recently a cabinet committee on cyber crimes was formed, which provided the synergy between all agencies involved.
“Agencies such as police, cyber security and the Communications and Multimedia Commission (SKMM) have different jurisdictions, thus there needs to be a cabinet committee which can synergise and execute action,” said Faisal.
Faisal also said the same approach was needed to be expanded to cover all Muslim countries, especially in this age of rising Islamophobia.
“Cyber networking between Muslim countries needs to be established so that dissemination and distribution of correct information can be done quickly.
“We do not want wrong information about Muslim countries, such as the breaking of news about Egypt or Qatar, (to spread),” said Tun Faisal.
“We were not sure if most of them were true or not, as mainly they were spread via social media. When news is spread via social media, there is the possibility of it not being true. When we have the right networking, the information that we receive can be more accurate.”
He said this would also allow Muslim countries to form a unified move in countering negative news about the religion.
“Data and information is power. Who controls data and information is the one who holds power. If the social media applications that we use are developed by those who are not friendly towards Islam, even more so if they are enemies of Islam, what guarantee do we have that the data and information we spread are not used against our religion," said Faisal.
He said as such, Muslim countries should strive towards being in greater control of information.
“We have to be at a level where we can control the data and information in a way that benefits the religion. We may even plan to develop our own social media application or take over existing platforms,” said Faisal.
He said Malaysia could be made into the agent that brings together and solidify the network among Muslim nations, as the country had sufficient experience in tackling cyber crimes.
“The spreading of fake or inaccurate news, for example, is not only dangerous, it can destabilise a country. When such news appear on social media, people who read it may accept it as the truth, and subsequently it may not just create anger, but hatred as well,” said Faisal.
“When there is no reference point, such news can go viral and create trouble. We have seen how this happened in Egypt, Syria and Qatar. News that are circulated on social media can result in mass protests and riots.
“The same goes for issues in our country,” said Faisal, pointing out that gatherings, such as the Bersih movement, were examples of how the people had been influenced by inaccurate news.
“As in the 1Malaysia Development Bhd issue, the United States Department of Justice had clearly only stated that they were filing the case. But here in Malaysia, gatherings calling for the arrest of MO1 (Malaysian Official 1) had already been instigated. Where is the logic in that? This an example of why I have pointed out the importance of control over data and information.”
Umno youth executive committee member and Scholars Association of Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Dr Fathul Bari Mat Jahya said when he took the stand to present his speech today, it would be slanted towards the appreciation of Islam in all facets of life, not just in religious practices.
“The speakers are a good mix, with guests from Asean countries and from Saudi Arabia, with diverse backgrounds — ranging from politics, economics and even from social media, such as the speaker from Jasa (Tun Faisal),” said Fathul.
“This diverse mix is pertinent to the cause, as we are here to discuss the religion not just from a standpoint of its practices, such as prayers, alms and the haj. The strengthening of the ummah through the pursuit of excellence means we need to look at a wider scope, where religion is life itself.
“This why the theme of the conference is The Manhaj of Ahlu As-Sunnah Unites Asean, which means we, as an ummah, should strive to unite the region as whole, not just Muslims but all.”
During his speech, Fathul will cover the aspects of the government's efforts in developing a generation of Khayr Ummah.
“We will look at it from many angles, be it politics, administration, economy and social, as well as other steps (which can contribute) towards excellence,” said Fathul.