Terengganu MB holds dialogue with Bloggers

(Bernama) – Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said has offered to provide bloggers with facts and figures on the state’s development so that they will not defame anyone through unverified information posted on their blogs.

“Bloggers must be more responsible and check on the authenticity of the information they receive before publishing it,” he said at a dialogue with bloggers at his official residence, Seri Iman, here last night.

About 80 bloggers from Terengganu and elsewhere attended the gathering at the invitation of the menteri besar to exchange views with state government leaders.

State Education, Higher Education, Science, Technology and Human Resource Committee chairman Ahmad Razif Abd Rahman and State Religious Affairs and Information Committee chairman Khazan Che Mat also attended the dialogue.

The menteri besar said political leaders often end up as victims of libel, and a state government can be toppled through the dissemination of false news about it.
 
“If this happens, the people will be at the losing end because the government leaders will be unable to implement their programmes as they will no longer be in power,” he said.

Ahmad also told the dialogue that the state government most appreciated the contribution of non-governmental organisations to the development of Terengganu.

He said there are almost 1,000 NGOs in the state and that more than 300 are most active and have helped the government a lot, including in the dissemination of information to the people on the development in the state.

“This year, the state government has allocated RM2 million for distribution to all the NGOs to enable them carry out their activities,” he said.