Annuar proposes command centre for more effective dissemination of govt information

Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said this proposal was made in response to the challenges faced in implementing government programmes, as the problems had been identified as partly due to misinformation and disinformation.

Stressing that the government takes a serious view of effective dissemination of information, he said a study was currently being conducted to ensure that the proposed command centre could function efficiently.

"An effective government is one which can convey information speedily in a manner which the people can understand," he said when winding up the debate on the motion of thanks on the royal address.

At the Cabinet level, Annuar said, a committee chaired by him had been formed with 10 ministers who would meet every week to evaluate aspects related to government communication.

Apart from this, Annuar said the government's information machinery would also be streamlined, not only at the Information Department level in districts but also through community empowerment.

He said this included reviving the Malaysian Family community, which is a form of cooperation with non-governmental organisations at the grassroots level for them to partner with the government under the community empowerment concept to present and receive government messages.

He said the ministry also hoped that Community Internet Centres throughout the country could be adapted into centres for disseminating relevant information.

"At the moment there are almost 800 internet centres which will be converted into Malaysian Family economic digital centres, and with the available facilities they will also help in government efforts to disseminate information to the people.

"Other efforts, I believe, are already known, that is agencies under the government including RTM, Bernama and Information Department have undertaken efforts in line with current methods using various media not only through face-to-face (interaction) but also via social media and the latest methods," he added.

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketereh said he accepted the fact and the views of MPs that efforts to disseminate information should be intensified and that there is a need to re-engineer the system.

"Since I am new to the ministry, I need a bit of time to ensure that this re-engineering process can be implemented effectively," he added.