M’sians are world’s largest WhatsApp users – Salleh

KUALA LUMPUR: The Digital News Report 2017 found that Malaysians are the world’s largest users of WhatsApp at 51 percent.

The report also found that Facebook and YouTube are also popular with Malaysians, with 58 percent and 26 percent users respectively, and WeChat and Instagram, with 13 percent.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak noting these, said the report also mentioned Malaysians as getting 86 percent of their news feed from social media, 45 percent from publications, 54 percent from television and 15 percent from radio.

“Smartphones are used as the main device, at 65 percent, computers (45 percent) and tablets (18 percent),” he said in his latest posting at www.sskeruak.blogspot.my, yesterday.

According to him, a study made by another organisation, TNS Global similarly found Malaysians as being the largest group of WhatsApp users, at 77 percent, and Facebook Messenger, at 41 percent.

Salleh attributed the findings to Malaysia’s good internet facilities and penetration.

According to him, WhatsApp was the main choice for consumers because of its many advantages such as simplicity and speed in communication and information sharing, and effective interfaces within an organisation as every instruction or alert could be sent without time restriction, and saves cost.

He said Whatsapp also helped the ordinary businessman to promote his (or her) endeavour without spending a lot of money, and widely used as an effective political campaign tool.

“Just imagine a WhatsApp group with 200 members. If someone has 10 WhatsApp groups, in a short time he can share information with 2,000 people,” he said.

However, Salleh noted that WhatsApp did have its disadvantages, of which the most glaring was when it was used to disseminate false information to tarnish a person’s image.

“I support freedom of information, but don’t use WhatsApp to undermine the credibility of others with false news. WhatsApp has a huge impact on society. Its power is like a sharp knife that can injure,” he said. - Bernama