Malaysia, Saudi Arabia cement cooperation in ICT: Salleh

PUTRAJAYA: In tandem with rapid global development in communications and information technology, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia have agreed to further enhance cooperation in the field, particularly those involving news exchanges.
Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak said the cooperation between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia would be strengthened with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the news agencies of both countries, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) and Saudi Press Agency (SPA), today.
He said Malaysia and Saudi Arabia would also review the MoU signed by the two countries on Dec 16, 1982.
"We agreed to review the MoU because many developments have taken place and the focus of both countries now is to look at the possibilities of other cooperation," he said.
He told reporters this after receiving a courtesy call from Saudi Minister of Culture and Information Dr Adel Zaid Al Toraifi today at his office at the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia (KKMM).
The MoU in 1982, sealed by Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim (now Tan Sri) and his counterpart Dr Sheikh Mohammed Abdu Yamani, among others, involved the exchange of news, films, television and radio shows as well as exchange of radio and television journalists and officials.
Apart from news exchange between Bernama and SPA, Salleh said other cooperation agreed upon would involve the exhange of documentaries between Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) and Saudi Arabian TV station.
In the meeting that lasted 30 minutes, Salleh said he and Dr Adel Zaid also discussed the issue of false news being viral on social media.
"We both agreed that it (spreading false news) is a major problem that occurs in the social media today because it can damage the country and society.
"For that, we agree it is the government's responsibility to explain policy implementation and authentic information to the people so that they are not influenced by false news," he said.
Also present at the meeting were KKMM secretary-general Datuk Seri Dr Sharifah Zahra Syed Ahmad, Bernama general manager Datuk Zulkefli Salleh, Bernama editor-in-chief Datuk Zakaria Abd Wahab and ministry's senior officials.
Dr Adel Zaid, is among the Saudi Arabian cabinet ministers, who joined the delegation of Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud on a four-day state visit to Malaysia starting yesterday.
This is the first visit of King Salman, who is also Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, at the invitation of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Muhammad V, since ascending the throne in 2015. — Bernama