Netizens advised to check veracity of messages and video clips before they circulate them on the social media – as the video clip of a “fanatic” making the rounds of social media was definitely not that of Maszlee Malik

Since yesterday, a video clip of a “fanatic” had been circulated on the social media with the suggestion that receipients should forward it to as many as possible so as “to reach Tun before he became the education minister”.

The “he” was meant to be Maszlee Malik, the Education Minister-designate except that the person in the video clip was not Maszlee at all.

The person in the video clip was definitely making extremist and fanatical attacks on the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia, and about the marginalistion of the Malays in Malaysia – a theme which was false, divisive and dangerous but so ubiquitous in the last general election campaign, which could only disunite and polarize Malaysia further, when we should all be doing our utmost to put the politics of race, hate and fear behind us to usher in a New Malaysia where all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or political affiliation, are united and can feel proud of be a Malaysian – both inside and outside the country.

We are in the information age, but we should be aware of its promises and perils.

As netizens of the information era, we must develop new disciplines, one of which is to check the veracity of the messages and video clips before circulating them on the social media.

There have been criticisms of Mazslee as the Education Minister, but let us give the 44-year-old academician the chance to prove his suitability for the important post of Education Minister of a New Malaysia.