SANDAKAN: The Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) candidate for the Sungai Manila state seat, Hazem Mubarak Musa, expressed his appreciation to media practitioners for their crucial role in delivering accurate information to the public, especially in the lead-up to the 17th Sabah State Election.
“I have great respect for the media because their role is very important in our lives today. When we want to know the latest news particularly young people, we will certainly refer to information from the media,” he said.
He also emphasised the importance of traditional media, including newspapers, particularly for older readers who still rely on such mediums to obtain verified news.
According to him, although digital media offers fast access and wide coverage, it still carries the risk of spreading fake news, especially in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), which is capable of manipulating visuals and narratives.
“Today’s media is indeed impressive because of its speed and extensive coverage. But its weakness is ‘fake news’. With AI, we sometimes cannot tell what is true or false,” he explained.
Hazem said mainstream media plays an important role in providing reliable and trustworthy information to the people.
He also called on the media to help ensure that the achievements of the GRS are properly understood by the public, especially the younger generation.
“Some say GRS is a failed government, but in what way has it failed? Many of the major accusations made are actually baseless. For me, GRS has done its best for Sabah,” he said.
He said this while attending the Media Appreciation Programme at Pavilion Hotel on Monday.
Meanwhile, he hopes the media will continue to serve as a platform for delivering accurate and credible information to the people, particularly throughout the election season.
“I would like to thank you for the coverage given, and I pray that the media will continue to serve the people of Sabah by providing the best news,” he said.
