He emphasised the importance of robust policies, guidelines, and standard operating procedures (SOPs), alongside a comprehensive understanding of cybersecurity and crisis management.
In his opening speech at the inaugural Social Media Seminar for Ministries and Government Agencies 2024, Ali highlighted the need for official social media account managers to be well-versed in digital technology to ensure the government’s messages were effectively communicated to the public.
He said the seminar aimed to raise awareness of applicable laws and regulations in the digital realm, including the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
“As media practitioners, official social media teams should be familiar with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Content Code 2022, which outlines best practices and ethical standards for content creation and management,” he said.
Ali stressed that as users managing official government social media accounts, the teams must understand the importance of community standards and the terms and conditions set by platform providers to protect their rights and those of others.
“However, it is also important for them to recognise that these regulations are developed from the perspective of foreign-based platform providers and may not align with the values, societal norms, and laws of this country,” he said.
Ali highlighted the significance of social media for government agencies compared to traditional media, emphasising its role in liberalising communication between the government and the public.
This, he said, allowed the government to interact directly with citizens, respond to their questions and concerns, and gather feedback in real-time.
Ali pointed out that social media was also part of e-government services, and the only platform enabling government agencies nationwide to actively enhance relationships and transparency, exchange views, and conduct civic activities with the public.
“Public trust in government social media accounts is crucial for these accounts to be considered reliable sources of information, especially when critical information needs to be disseminated to target audiences,” he said.
Ali noted that social media platforms were now integral to the government’s communication channels, providing the latest information and announcements to the public.
“Our research shows that out of 27 ministries, 22 have official or blue-tick accounts on Facebook, 14 have official Instagram accounts, and so far, no official TikTok accounts have been recorded,” he said.
Among government agencies, Ali said 48 had official Facebook accounts compared to 85 unofficial ones, 36 had official Instagram accounts compared to 76 unofficial ones, and only three had official TikTok accounts compared to 64 unofficial ones.
Citing the Digital 2024 report by We Are Social and Meltwater, Ali said that 28.68 million users in Malaysia, accounting for 83% of the country’s population, were active on social media, and spent an average of two hours and 48 minutes daily on these platforms.
He said 90.7% of social media users aged 16 to 64 were on WhatsApp, followed by 84.9% on Facebook, 77% on Instagram, and 68.8% on TikTok.
Ali noted that social media platforms were not just for entertainment or online social activities, but also used as information sources, with 44.4% of users utilising these platforms to get the latest news.