Deputy minister warns ‘influencers’ against exploiting religious rituals for content
A Malaysian deputy minister has cautioned social media influencers against exploiting religious rituals and sensitive cultural issues for content. The warning follows an investigation into an influencer's participation in a Thaipusam ceremony.
Why it matters
This reflects the tension between digital content creation and the preservation of social harmony in multicultural societies with strict religious sensitivities.
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Social media influencers have been reminded not to exploit issues involving race, religion and royalty (3R), particularly religious rituals, for online content, in the interest of preserving harmony in the country’s multiracial society.
Deputy National Unity Minister R. Yuneswaran said influencers with large followings should be more responsible in producing content and spreading positive values instead of playing on 3R sentiments.
"If possible, stay away from issues involving 3R, as influencers may not know about the religious rituals or customs of certain communities, especially if they do not profess that religion.
"We have many positive things that can be promoted together with the National Unity Ministry,” he said when met after attending Bernama TV’s Ruang Bicara programme at Wisma Bernama yesterday.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in