Law Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said has called for Malaysia’s democratic system to be protected from digital manipulation and foreign interference, following revelations involving AI-generated content and thousands of fake social media accounts.
Azalina, who is also UMNO Information chief, said the growing threat of cyber manipulation could undermine the integrity of information and distort public perceptions.
She said the revelations should be taken seriously, although there was no evidence that the operation had succeeded in changing election results or voters’ positions.
“Technology can generate a thousand accounts and a thousand comments. But technology cannot determine the truth or what the people actually feel on the ground,” she said in a statement.
Azalina said Malaysia needed a digital space that remained open to criticism and differing views while being protected from coordinated manipulation.
She also urged the public to scrutinise information before accepting it, including checking sources, verifying facts and distinguishing news from opinion.
She cautioned against using the number of likes, shares or comments as a measure of credibility, amid growing concerns over the use of AI and fake accounts to influence political discourse.
Azalina’s remarks come as concerns over foreign interference and coordinated online activity increasingly centre on the potential impact of digital manipulation on public opinion and democratic processes.
