Fahmi said Anwar’s two years as prime minister so far had been marked by significant economic growth, a surge in foreign investments, good governance, and anti-corruption initiatives, Bernama reported.

However, the communications minister said these accomplishments were often undermined by the spread of slander and misinformation, especially on social media.

He said this had led to certain members of the public having negative perceptions of the government, with Anwar, in particular, bearing the brunt as prime minister.

“It’s like in a movie, the audience usually focusses on the protagonist, not the supporting cast or those working behind the scenes, even though the film is a collective effort by everyone involved.

“For the government, it is crucial to build investor confidence, ensure that economic spillover reaches the people, and improve not only how we communicate but also how we engage the public in making informed judgments,” he was quoted as saying.

Fahmi said this was supported by the book Foolproof, written by Cambridge University’s Sander van der Linden, which describes false news as “the greatest threat to democracy worldwide”.

He said the government’s plans had shown positive results and that there were statistics to back this. The minister also expressed confidence that Malaysians would see even greater economic benefits in the next two years.