Malaysia has 28 million social media users as of January 2021, says Comms Ministry sec-gen

(Bernama): There are approximately 28 million users of social media in Malaysia as of January 2021, says Datuk Seri Mohammad Mentek.

The Communications and Multimedia Ministry secretary-general said the figures showed that Malaysians were among the most active in social media.

In fact, he said the number had increased by two million, or 7%, in just a year from 2020, believed due to the current pandemic situation which caused people to stay home most of the time following the implementation of the movement control order.

“The use of the internet has been on the rise since we faced the MCO and the country’s social media users made up 86% of the total population in January 2021,” he said in the “Bicara Eksklusif: Kuasa Media Sosial Perangkap Atau Pemangkin” event streamed live on the Ministry’s Facebook page Wednesday (Sept 22).

Mohammad also said civil servants needed to understand and be clear on how to use social media, especially the difference between performing official duties and personal use.

Mohammad said civil servants should be wise in using social media to ensure that their duties can be performed smoothly and responsibly.

“Sometimes we forget that once a civil servant, always a civil servant, 24/7. Being a civil servant doesn’t mean that we can make comments on social media at our whims and fancies outside our working hours.

“No. We are members of the public service. So, we cannot say that the comments were personal, nothing to do with our official job and so on, no!” he said.

He said civil servants were not politicians and thus, should uphold and abide by the policies of the government of the day.

Mohammad also encouraged the public to follow the official social media channels of Communications and Multimedia Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa, Deputy Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin and himself for information on the latest developments in the country and programmes implemented by the government.