[ad_1]
KUANTAN: Criticism and mockery of a professor’s televised science lesson in English amounts to cyberbullying, Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said here today.
He said that people should be aware of the fact that the teacher is not a professional actor and may not have received broadcast training before the video recording was made.
“You shouldn’t criticize her for doing her job as an educator… I also think that you shouldn’t treat (criticize) the Ministry of Education like that because this is something new and of course there are weaknesses here and there.
“These weaknesses need to be addressed to ensure that your content is improved from time to time,” he told reporters here.
There has been an outpouring of contempt on social media after a short video clip showing a teacher explaining the poor English playback system aired on the newly launched educational channel DidikTV.
Saifuddin said the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia was ready to assist the Ministry of Education in preparing the content for DidikTV, using the expertise of the national film corporation Finas.
Need for a new law on cyberbullying
He reiterated that specific legislation against cyberbullying should be introduced, as victims can develop problems such as depression or suicidal thoughts.
“We don’t know the exact number of victims of cyberbullying because they don’t report… either because they don’t know they can or because they think that no action can be taken if they make a report. We can’t blame them for that.
“We have laws like the Communications and Multimedia Commission Law and the Penal Code, but in relation to cyberbullying, a study has found that more than 80% of legal professionals think that we need a specific law on cyberbullying,” he said. .
Saifuddin said the ministry is preparing a cabinet document to obtain a political decision and has started the initial draft of the anti-cyberbullying bill so that it can be accelerated once Parliament resumes its session.
Saifuddin was here for an election event in Indera Mahkota, where he is a deputy.
