Malaysia Deputy Minister urges avoidance of 3R issues

Malaysia’s Deputy Minister of National Unity, Yuneswaran Ramaraj, has called on media practitioners and social media users to avoid sensitive 3R issues—race, religion, and royalty—to maintain national harmony. Speaking at a media event in Kuala Lumpur, Yuneswaran emphasized that while social media criticism can be constructive, users must avoid extreme or negative statements that trigger racial tension.

The Minister noted that while Malaysia is uniquely diverse with approximately 130 languages and dialects, social media often acts as a divisive force even when the citizenry remains united. He clarified that many social tensions are often misidentified as racial or religious issues when they are actually rooted in government policy, economic gaps, social disparities, or criminal matters.

To strengthen national cohesion, the Ministry of National Unity has introduced the ‘Yuk Bersama Membina Negara Bangsa’ (Let’s Build a Nation Together) campaign. Additionally, the Ministry of Communications, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), continues to monitor social media for defamatory content and messages that threaten social stability.