SANDAKAN: Young people must be rational and cautious when assessing the barrage of information on social media to avoid becoming unwitting spreaders of fake news, said Datuk George Hiew Vun Zin, Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (PGRS) Batu Sapi division chief.
He said young people should make fact-checking a habit and understand the real context of an issue before believing or sharing what they see online.
“Don’t simply follow what others say. We must seek the truth and understand an issue first, so inaccurate information does not keep spreading in society,” he said.
George was speaking at the launch of the formation meeting for the Youth and Beliawanis PGRS Batu Sapi on Tuesday night. He said recent political developments had underlined the important role local parties play in shaping Sabah’s development direction.
Under Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, he said, the State Government remains stable, infrastructure projects are continuing, and federal allocations have risen year after year. He pointed to Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) as a clear example of what a strong local party can achieve.
He reminded the newly-formed Youth and Beliawanis committees to actively engage and unite young people in Batu Sapi, and not to focus solely on politics. Instead, they should organise healthy and beneficial activities that draw young people into community life.
Noting that some young people are becoming detached from society or falling into unhealthy activities, he said both wings must go to the ground, reach out to them and create more opportunities for youth to participate in community service.
George expressed hope that the committees would bring positive influence to Batu Sapi, guide the younger generation and cultivate a spirit of service. He added that PGRS Batu Sapi will also help young people find jobs and learn skills to improve their employability. The Youth wing is led by Nizram Ahmad, while Beliawanis is led by Jamila Saadan. He stressed that their role must go beyond politics and be rooted in serving the people while helping shape mature political thinking among the young. – James Leong
George said young people should make fact-checking a habit.
