Current Affair – Page 3 – In Press Global

Remembering the victims of Christchurch shooting

by Muhammad Faiz bin Mokhtar

It has been two weeks since the event that changed the lives of not just Muslims, but to the rest of the world as well. The world is stunned by the news of the man who shot 50 people in a mosque (ABC News New Zealand, 2019). This event will be a lasting memory in the minds of the people of the world. This act is not only devastating to the people around the world, but more importantly, the lives of their families as well as those who knew the victims personally. New Zealand, a country known for extreme sports such as bungee jumping and friendly people, is left shocked as such a crime is known to be rare in the country.in their history. As the incident is the first of its kind in New Zealand’s history, all media have been covering the incident on large scale for the few weeks. This has given journalists a chance to inform the public about the shooting and its aftermath.

Social media presents a medium that is a cost-effective, which means it is interactive, association and co-formation above communication that is one-to-many; integrates communication and distribution channels, provides customization opportunities, and delivers greater speed to the information communication and feedback (Shilbury, Westerbeck, Quick, Funk, & Karg, 2014) . Social media has given the platform for people to voice their concerns and it is a way that news can travel instantaneously into the minds of the citizens of the world. Internet presents a virtual public community allowing citizens to discuss public issues and make their voices heard (Zhou & Moy, 2007). When comparing with the traditional Internet and communication technologies (ICTs), social media manages the conversation content or interaction as an artifact of information in an online environment (Yates & Paquette, 2010).

However, social media has become a message channel for the shooter to livestream his actions for the world to see. The shooter, armed with automatic rifle, gunned down 50 patrons of the mosque and he filmed the shooting live-streamed on Facebook (Wakefield, 2019). The video has been shared on social media through all platforms, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, in which millions have watched this act of terror through their phones, laptops and tablets. Social media, despite its reach to reach millions of the world, has showcased to the users themselves what kind of content that they might see. Impressionable people may follow suit and some would be fearful of the world due to the fact that it is shown by the social media itself. Online media allows netizens to share their opinions, retorts, or pass remarks about a certain phenomenon (Ekawati, 2018).

Jacinda Ardern, a leader that sets the example

The world is left shocked and astonished by the act of the shooter, but one woman stood out among them all, the New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Being a leader, one must show compassion towards the victims, strength for the people to look upon and wisdom for her actions. Ardern is an example of how a leader should act. Rather than just offer condolences and sympathy, she showed compassion for the victims’ families. A disaster or an event that changes the perception of a nation will make the people around the world to shift their focus on her. As a leader, she must be an example to other leaders on how to act in times of distress and chaos. The picture below shows that she’s wearing a headscarf, which depicts her respect towards the victims’ religion and culture.

“You may have chosen us,” said Ardern, referring to the killer, anger in her voice. “But we utterly reject and condemn you.” (Roy, 2019)

“She has shown a quiet, strong leadership, and been very focused on looking after the people who are most affected straight away. The killer has barely been mentioned.” (Roy, 2019)

In The Guardian’s article, Roy interviewed Paul Buchanan, a security expert in the 36^th Parallel. Buchanan commented that:

“Saying that her strength was her empathy, and she has “excelled” in this arena during a time of crisis. She is also an expert delegator, Buchanan says, and has delegated security reviews and inquiries about how the killer was missed to senior, trusted colleagues, allowing her to focus on healing a traumatized country.

“She is like the mother of the nation. When it comes to events like this, I think her touch is near perfect,” says Buchanan.

“The way Trump and others talk, tough talk, after terror attacks, all that is posturing. And sometimes it is designed to mask weakness, sometimes it is a thirst for revenge. Ardern is doing none of that.”

“It is a leadership style that particularly suits New Zealand. New Zealand does have a serious dark side, it does have racism. But what she is doing is giving us a moment to confront these demons, this darkness and change our ways.”

Extracted from (Roy, 2019) article when interviewed Paul Buchanan, security expert in the 36^th Parallel. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/19/real-leaders-do-exist-jacinda-ardern-uses-solace-and-steel-to-guide-a-broken-nation

The traits that a true leader should have exhibited under intense situation which are Compassion, truthfulness and composure. Therefore, it is no surprise that the world is lauding her and giving her positive comments along with support for her stance on the subject. People worldwide have been commending Arden’s actions throughout the whole ordeal.

A leader should always be quick in responding to critical or emergency situations such as the mass shooting. This can be seen in Arden’s decision to push for the ban on semi-automatic and automatic rifles in New Zealand. Not only that, owners of rifles too have resorted to relinquishing their own rifles in wake of the shooting out of respect (Graham-McLay, 2019).

New Zealand: Citizen’s response

New Zealand, a small nation east of Australia, known for agriculture and extreme sports was tested with an event that has changed the way people see the world nowadays – that the world is indeed full of violence and hatred. As covered in the article, the world is shocked by the actions of one man who went into a place of worship and had committed a massacre. What is astonishing is the level of solidarity among New Zealanders post-shooting. They have been offering victims sympathy, empathy, as well as have been helping the victims to overcome trauma and grief. Social media has become a tool used by people all over the world to send messages of support and love to the victims. Hashtags have been used on Twitter to discuss the mass shooting. One can easily find the messages for the victims posted under hashtags related to the incident.

The New Zealanders have shown solidarity by standing outside the mosques in a line to which can represents that they are willing to protect what they considered to be their brothers and sisters despite the difference in religion, culture and skin color. Not only that, the incident also prompted some of the New Zealanders to learn more about Islam. Some of them even converted to Islam after the incident. Sonny Bill Williams, a New Zealand All-Blacks Rugby Star is one of the famous names in the Islam and he even visited the victims who were being treated to provide support. Recently, his mother and teammate, Offa Tuungafasi, converted to Islam as well (Astro , 2019).

In conclusion, the media has the power to shape the perception of the people in the world. Along with that, the media could lead to people thinking that the world might be a dangerous place to live in, but there is kindness in this world and the people of New Zealand along with their leader, Ardern, have exhibited those traits. In memory of the victims, I would like to ask for all of us to pray for the fallen victims.

References

ABC News New Zealand. (2019, March 19). Christchurch shooting death toll rises to 50 after one more victim discovered at mosque. Retrieved from ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-17/christchurch-shooting-death-toll-rises-to-50-new-zealand/10909288

Astro , A. (2019, March 27). Beberapa hari susulan tragedi Christchurch, ibu serta rakan baik Sonny Bill Williams masuk Islam. Retrieved from Astro Awani: http://www.astroawani.com/berita-dunia/beberapa-hari-susulan-tragedi-christchurch-ibu-serta-rakan-baik-sonny-bill-williams-masuk-islam-202370

Ekawati, R. (2018). PRAGMATIC ANALYSIS OF ANGER EXPRESSION USED BY NETIZEN ON ROHINGYA REFUGEES IN WEBSITE . Skripsi thesis, Universitas Muhammadiyah Surakarta., 1-16.

Graham-McLay, C. (2019, July 13). New Zealand Begins Gun Buyback Prompted by Mosque Attacks. Retrieved from NYTimes.com: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/13/world/asia/new-zealand-guns.html

Roy, E. A. (2019, March 19). ‘Real leaders do exist’: Jacinda Ardern uses solace and steel to guide a broken nation. Retrieved from The Guardian Online: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/19/real-leaders-do-exist-jacinda-ardern-uses-solace-and-steel-to-guide-a-broken-nation

Shilbury, D., Westerbeck, H., Quick, S., Funk, D., & Karg, A. (2014). Strategic sport marketing Fourth Edition. Sydney: Allen & Unwin.

Wakefield, J. (2019, March 19). Christchurch shootings: Social media races to stop attack footage. Retrieved from BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-47583393

Yates, D., & Paquette, S. (2010). Emergency Knowledge Management and Social Media Technologies: A Case Study of the 2010 Haitian Earthquake. ASIS&T ’10 Proceedings of the 73rd ASIS&T Annual Meeting on Navigating Streams in an Information Ecosystem – Volume 47 (pp. 1-9). Pittsburgh: American Society for Information Science .

Zhou, Y., & Moy, P. (2007). Parsing Framing Processes: The Interplay Between Online Public Opinion and Media Coverage. Journal of Communication ISSN 0021-9916, 78-98.

Why is Feminism popular? Look at the way we treat our women

by Muhammad Naim Muhamad Ali

As of 2013, the world population is estimated to be around 7, 162, 119. 434 people, with 49.5 percent of the population are women (United Nations Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, 2019). According to the statistics provided, Malaysia accounted 31.97 million as of 2017, with 48.60 percent is female, yet their every action is still scrutinized, which in turn influences their being and livelihood (Masika & Joekes, 1996). Women, regardless of age, face society’s discrimination when doing the same things that men got away with. Women today are working together to fight for equal treatment, rights, and privileges enjoyed by their male counterparts. However, such efforts showed slow progress due to some factors.

Women generally have fewer rights and opportunities than men (Peace Corps, 2017). The report by Peace Corps highlighted that women have fewer opportunities for economic participation than men, following less access to basic and higher education, health, and safety risks and political representation. Women often assumed the role of wifehood and motherhood which were regarded as women’s most noble – if not only, professions in the early centuries. In the 20th century, for the first time in history, women in most nations, the United Kingdom for instance, finally won the right to vote, as well as to get an education and better job opportunities (Lethbridge, 2018). Perhaps most importantly, what they have fought for accomplished a reevaluation of traditional views of their roles in society

Men are generally perceived as the head of the family. As such, a man is seen as his family’s breadwinner, while his wife will be staying at home to raise their children and take care of the household. In the past, this was considered as a norm for women – to be housewives — but as time goes by, living expenses hiked due to changes in developments and policies. To cushion the rising cost of living, women then started to look for ways to contribute to their families. To do this, they started working — it doesn’t matter how much they were getting paid as long as they could help their husbands.

A year or so ago, I found an article published in The Star newspaper titled “Gender-wage bias still raging”. The article focused on the wage gap in Malaysia. In 2015, women generally earned 8.4 percent less than men. Data retrieved from the National Statistics Department’s Salaries and Wages Survey Report 2013 showed that men typically earn RM2,260 a month, while women earn RM2, 071 for doing the same job. Issues concerning the wage gap between men and women gave rise to the question: why do governments have such biased policies when it comes to salaries for men and women? Don’t women deserve to be paid as much as men? The wage gap is real, as shown in studies done throughout the years. The article too highlighted that despite being skilled, women are paid less than their male colleagues, who are paid 39.7 percent more than them (around RM588).

I recalled watching a movie based on a true event, Made in Dagenham, which dabbled about semi-skilled Ford women machinist who went on strike due to denied pay raise by the management. It may seem a cliché to some people, but this is the reality. Women hardly get pay raise because most of the time they are deemed less capable and productive than men in their work performance due to their childrearing and other related women-related roles (Masika & Joekes, 1996).

Another issue concerning women that should be addressed is, “Are women being taxed for being women?” Yes! The New York Times (2018) highlighted that women are not aware that they are paying more for certain products and services. This is due to the Pink Tax which is additional charges for certain items targeted at women. A lot of research on the pink tax found that women have been paying more than 42 percent than men, on average $1,351 a year of extra costs (Elliot, 2019). Tampons are considered a luxury and not a necessity in many countries. In the United States, some states abide by the tampon tax. The razor is, however, zero-rated in tax because it is used by men who believe that their need to be cleanly shaven is a human right. As such, it is interesting to note that whatever that is used and considered a necessity by men (in order to maintain their hygiene health) is usually zero-rated, unlike items that are needed by women for the same purpose. Is the use of tampons, not a human right? Women must pay at least US$7 for tampons for at least 40 years of their lives and as such, it is now considered a luxury that can’t even be afforded by those from poor countries.

Women did not demand to be treated like men. They demand to be treated equally – because the idea is both genders are equal, but not identical. There are things women are not supposed to do unless in circumstances that they could not afford to avoid. Society, especially men, must end the stigma and discriminations towards women because the world has evolved, and this is no longer a man’s world. Women are not second-class citizens. They do not deserve to be treated with discrimination and prejudice. Not all women are damsels in distress.

Feminism is not a dangerous word as some men would think (some might think that women are going for global domination). It is also not a dangerous movement. It only means the advocacy of women’s rights based on the equality of the sexes (Offen, 1988). People – especially men – need to understand the concept of advocating for women’s rights. They may not have to support the cause, but showing respect to it, is more than enough because how would we feel if we are treated unfairly on a daily basis? This topic might seem petty compared with racial inequality faced by some races for many years. But, in any culture and race, there are men and women who live together and each one of them should embrace and celebrate diversity and differences with respect and harmony.

References

Elliot, C. (2019). The Pink Tax- The Cost of Being a Female Consumer. Retrieved July 22, 2019, from Listen: Money Matters: https://www.listenmoneymatters.com/the-pink-tax/

Lethbridge, L. (2018, February 2). The women’s march: how the Suffragettes changed Britain. Retrieved July 22, 2019, from Financial Times: https://www.ft.com/content/22776930-05f6-11e8-9e12-af73e8db3c71

Masika, R., & Joekes, S. (1996). Employment and sustainable livelihoods: A gender perspectives. Institute of Development Studies, Gender Office of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Brighton. Retrieved July 22, 2019

Offen, K. (1988). Defining Feminism: A Comparative Historical Approach (Vol. 14). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. Retrieved July 22, 2019, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/3174664

Peace Corps. (2017). Global Issues: Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment. Retrieved July 22, 2019, from Peace Corps – Educator Resources: https://www.peacecorps.gov/educators/resources/global-issues-gender-equality-and-womens-empowerment/

Salt, K. (2018, March 2). The Hidden Taxes on Women. Retrieved July 22, 2019, from The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/02/business/women-hidden-taxes.html

United Nations Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs. (2019). World Population Prospects 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2019, from United Nations Population Division: https://population.un.org/wpp/DataQuery/

The Present and Future for LGBT Youth in Malaysia

by Wan Allef Elfi Danial bin Wan Sukeri

Lights. Gone. Before. Time. This is not the actual acronym for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transsexual) but rather an interesting analogy that perfectly describes the LGBT youth in Malaysia. The LGBT community is often considered as the scourge of the society due its members’ lifestyle, which was perceived as immoral and unnatural. Malaysia is notorious for its ban on homosexuality in which any sexual acts involving same sex individuals are heavily frowned upon and in some cases, punishable by law. A popular case involving the public caning of two lesbians who were caught committing sexual acts in a car (Lamb, 2018) is a distinguishable example. But rather than dwelling on the past, I would like to talk about the present and future concerning the LGBT youth in Malaysia.

From showing signs of conflicting qualities, such as men femininity or women masculinity to dressing up differently from the norms of fashion, Malaysian LGBT youths are constantly under attack in Malaysia. However, a study titled How Race and Religion Shape Millennial Attitudes on Sexual and Reproductive Health conducted by Dan Cox and Robert P. Jones from the Public Religion Research Institute indicated that millennials are more accepting towards homosexuality compared with the people of the previous generation (Felicetti, 2015). Furthermore, they also find it difficult to express themselves within a safe space. Even posting any LGBT-related matters on social media platforms warrants them full-fledged discrimination and hatred from society. This fear is the main reason of why many people from the LGBT community are discreet on their sexuality and refuse to further showcase their talents and abilities to the world. Without a proper platform and support from the society, LGBT youth will fade into the background, their talents grow unpolished and their confidence turned nil. Eventually, the spark that once resides in them will grow weaker, as well and their dreams become forgotten.

It is depressing to know that Malaysia is oblivious from the creativity, achievements and amazing ideas that can be produced by the LGBT youth. LGBT youth can never find the opportunity to shine and display their talents properly. The LGBT community in Malaysia should come together and strive for the similar purpose and goals, not fighting for the rights that obviously go beyond the tolerance of religion, such as same-sex marriage and gender change, but instead for the protection against being discriminated, bullied and abused. Hopefully, the future generation is inspired to open their eyes and mind to see the suffering and torment faced by the LGBT community whilst providing protection to them when needed. Empathy is a treasure that needs to be nurtured within the younger generation. Aside from that, I also hope that young LGBT representatives are given a fair and equal chance to be featured in various fields, such as entertainment, economy and politics. In my opinion, everyone should have the same rights to contribute to this blessed land.

It is very crucial to note that the chances of LGBT youth exposed to all types of bullying are fairly high. These bullying activities if not prevented at a young age, can lead to worse repercussions in the future, such as physical abuse and murder. However, it is upsetting to consider a person getting murdered just for loving another person. It is sad and frightening to see people justifying these horrible acts for the sake of preserving Islam sanctity. As days past by and we are inching closer to the year of 2020, the cases of LGBT misfortunes seem to be rising at an alarming rate. In 2018, a video of two men being beaten up by a group of people for allegedly having sex in a car in Kuala Lumpur went viral and caused uproar among the Malaysian society (Adam, 2018). Such similar incidents are likely to occur again if no safety is guaranteed for the LGBT community. Apart from that, this issue can sprout other concerns, such as the increasing cases of LGBT youth affected by mental health risks, often leading to suicidal thoughts and self-harm. A study done by Meyer (2003) showed that stigma, prejudice, and discrimination towards the LGBT community create a hostile and stressful social environment for them that lead to mental health problems. To make things worse, the society seems to be satisfied in pushing them, the LGBT community, to the edge of the cliff.

Islam is a religion of peace and perfection. But the Muslims are not. There have been guidelines and proper methods in handling a phenomenon like this. Unfortunately, some people took matters into their own hands in dealing with homosexuality issues. To many, inflicting pain and abuse upon the LGBT community is a justifiable act. If this behaviour is made into common tradition and hatred is spread, the LGBT youth will face a bleak future. In June 2017, a teenager from Penang was beaten and raped by a gang of young men for having effeminate traits (Thiagarajan, 2017). 18-year-old T. Nhaveen was brutally assaulted and ended up being brain-dead from the various wounds that he sustained on his head, hips and multiple burn marks on his back (Thiagarajan, 2017). Unfortunately, Nhaveen did not survive from the incident and died later on, which led to the case being reclassified as murder (Logeiswary & Sekaran, 2017). Is this the life that the LGBT community has to endure? It seems like being a heterosexual is a privilege.

Furthermore, the Prime Minister of Malaysia has released his statement on LGBT rights in Malaysia by stating that their lifestyle will not be part of the nation’s value system (Pillai, 2018). In order to find solace within the society, LGBT community depends on the millennial’s perception and acceptance towards their rights as those millennials are the future of the country. This is where the upcoming generation, regardless of their sexuality differences, plays a vital part in securing a better future for their homosexual allies. Decades ago, homosexuality topics are considered as a strong taboo and are often refrained from being discussed in households and school settings. Undoubtedly, this has resulted in various repercussions, such as parents of LGBT individuals not knowing the correct way to show support, the society finding it enjoyable to bully effeminate boys, ridiculing masculine girls and many more.

In Western countries, such as the United States, LGBT communities are given rights to be represented in media and entertainment although the appearances are still rather marginal. Some LGBT youth consisting of celebrities are sculpted into icons and followed by millions of fans across the globe. However, this situation is non-existent in Malaysia. This is due to the discrimination woven through decades of fear mongering towards the LGBT community the second their sexuality is revealed. This further pushes the possibilities of LGBT community hiding behind masks and suppressing their skills. Aside from that, a survey conducted by the trend forecasting agency, J. Walter Thompson Innovation Group, young Americans aged 13 to 20 were discovered to be far more open-minded and tolerant than the older millennial groups regarding the issues of gender and sexuality (Zing, 2016). Lastly, the millennials provide their support in increasing government funding towards the prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS and accept more LGBT immigrants from other countries that criminalize sexuality (Cohen, 2018).

In short, the LGBT community, especially those from the younger generation, should not be hindered from expressing their true self and showcasing their talents, abilities and ideas. Hopefully, Malaysians will learn to be more understanding and accepting towards the LGBT community. This is easier in the current proliferation of media technology. With the help of the Internet, the younger generation nowadays is broadly exposed to differences of race, religion and culture, feminism, gay rights and other pertaining global issues (DiSabito, 2014). Additionally, LGBT youths need to be assured that the future can hold a bright prospect for them. Thus, Malaysians must come together to achieve undisputable harmony and democracy.

References

Adam, M. (28 December, 2018). Malaysian men beaten up and dragged out of car for ‘having gay sex’. Retrieved 10 January, 2019, from Pink News: https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/12/27/malaysian-men-beaten-up-gay-sex/

Cohen, C. J. (10 July, 2018). Millennials Support LGBT Rights But Take Issue With ‘Homosexuality’. Retrieved 11 January, 2019, from Advocate: https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2018/7/10/millennials-support-lgbt-rights-take-issue-homosexuality

DiSabito, A. (4 March, 2014). Millennials are making the world a better place. Retrieved 10 January, 2019, from Daily Collegian: https://dailycollegian.com/2014/03/millennials-are-making-the-world-a-better-place/

Felicetti, R. (15 April, 2015). Millennials: More Accepting of Homosexuality? Retrieved 10 January, 2019, from The Outlook: https://outlook.monmouth.edu/news/30-volume-86-fall-2014-spring-2015/2578-millennials-more-accepting-of-homosexuality

Lamb, K. (2018, September 3). Women caned in Malaysia for attempting to have lesbian sex. Retrieved from TheGuardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/03/women-caned-in-malaysia-for-attempting-to-have-lesbian-sex

Logeiswary, T., & Sekaran, R. (16 June, 2017). Teen bully victim Nhaveen dies. Retrieved 11 January, 2019, from The Star: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/06/16/teen-bully-victim-nhaveen-dies-family-and-friends-fill-hospital-grounds-grieving-and-fuming-over-boy/

Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual. American Psychological Association, 674-692.

Pillai, V. (21 September, 2018). No way we’ll recognise gay rights in Malaysia, says Dr M. Retrieved 20 December, 2018, from freemalaysiatoday.com: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2018/09/21/no-way-well-recognise-gay-rights-in-malaysia-says-dr-m/

Thiagarajan, T. (2017, June 13). Teenager from Penang Beaten and Sodomised for Being ‘Effeminate’ Now Brain-dead. Retrieved from World of Buzz: https://www.worldofbuzz.com/teenager-penang-beaten-sodomised-effeminate-now-brain-dead/

Zing, T. (10 March, 2016). Teens These Days Are Queer AF, New Study Says. Retrieved 8 January, 2019, from Broadly: https://broadly.vice.com/en_us/article/kb4dvz/teens-these-days-are-queer-af-new-study-says

The Spiral of Silence

by Shikhin Sazali

Growing up surrounded by sophisticated technology and environment, might as well expand and widen the way I think about something either about myself or the world around me. However, being a young grounded teenager, I wish I had the courage to speak for myself or even the community in making the place where we live in a better place for everyone involved. Seeing myself back to the past 10 years, a shy, quite and introvert girl, how I wish someone or something would have do something to encourage me to be like today’s Syed Saddiq, the current Youth Chief of the Malaysian United Indigenous Party who has been actively involved in many organization from a very young age and very well involved in speaking up not just for himself but also for the people. I admire his confident and courage in being someone who dare to stand up for something and how well he can speak in front of the public in pointing out his belief, perspective and point of views. The theory that can be related with this is, the spiral of silence that refer to the tendency of people to remain silent when they feel that their views are in opposition to the majority view on a subject that commonly happened because of the fear of isolation. There are many simple cases that we can see happening in school for instance, how many teenagers are afraid to point out their views during a discussion in class especially when their opinions are different from the rest. This where I think teachers and parents should play their role in being the great supporters and give encouragement for the kids in being true to themselves and outshine the hidden talent. Who knows, with good practice and exposure, this could lead them to be somebody in the future. The fact that how one word or even one image could lead to a bigger change on something shouldn’t be taken lightly. How Mahatma Gandhi has now become world inspiration for stood up for his believe even though at first, no one believes and support his movement. It is great how a picture of misery and hunger of victims in the Palestine could lead to a major movement that comes from different country in sending help in terms of food and medications. It is amazing to adapt the fact how one word could speak a thousand meaning and how it can really affect one nation either for good or bad.

Towards A Better Social Media User

by Razween binti Md. Rashidi

Technology is having a rapid growth parallel to the human needs as well as the demand of this modern world. It is becoming one of the tools that almost all Malaysians need as it is making life easier compared to our grandparents’ days where communication and other inventions such as computer, tabs or even mobile phones were hard to be found because of the economical state at that time. Now, everything has changed as it is impossible to meet a person without a mobile phone and the access to the Internet.

Our former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi once said that Malaysians are still at the third-class mentality with a first-class infrastructure. In relation to this particular topic, Malaysians are given access to the Internet and we can freely browse and post anything that we like in social media such as Facebook, Twitter as well as Instagram. Since we are given such freedom, most of us tend to take all those opportunities for granted. Based on a personal view as a social media user, the writer personally sees that some of us tend to spread and post negative comments towards other people. For example, if a person has posted about his or her achievement, some of Malaysians will comment that the achievement is nothing if the person does not acquire other skills. We tend to look at the negative side of that person than praise that person’s achievement. In fact, we tend to search for something negative that the person has. Malaysian Digest 2014 requoted words by Communications and Multimedia Consumer Forum of Malaysia Chairman, Dr Elistina Abu Bakar said that Malaysians tend to neglect the things that they have to consider when sharing or posting things online. They do not think of the consequences of posting something negative that may offend other parties who have read what they have posted.

In order to have or to produce a first-class mentality, there are a few things that can be done so that social media users especially teenagers in Malaysia will be more aware about the consequences if they do not use the technologies wisely.

The first thing that can be done is by initiating an early education regarding the social media. This is where people who involved in structuring the education system in Malaysia should include an education regarding the usage of social media in moral subject syllabus for instance. They should know when teenagers started to expose or involve themselves in social media such as Facebook, Twitter as well as Instagram. By knowing that, they can plan on what are the things that can be included in the syllabus. We are in a world where almost everything is having rapid changes. Moral class should expose a situation that is more than just by helping a mother to do the house chores at home. Most of the students have started to engage in an “online” world. They often triggered to explore everything by themselves. So, if there are no guidelines, they may be free to explore and express whatever they want.

In addition to that, another aspect that should be touched on in shaping the children’s mentality in using social media is the parents themselves. Parents is often associated with the behaviour of the children. Hence, it is very important for them to get to know the daily activities of their children whether online or offline. There is no such thing as parents should not be busybody. When parents want to know the activities of their children, it is not called busybody as parents are people who should be respected and they have the right to know the activities of their children. It is important for parents to make sure that the children are like their best friends but they can respect and listen to you at the same time. In relation to the topic, what parents can do to make sure that their children are using social media in a right way is by having a regular check on them. Ask them in the most convincing way in order for them to share with us what they have read or posted in social media. If there are something wrong that we want to correct them, do it in the most professional manner so that our action will not trigger the anger inside the children.

Another reason why parent’s role is important in shaping the children to have a first-class mentality in using social media is because a quiet child at home may be the loudest person online. Hence, it is very important to get to know the children inside and out. Sometimes, we can see that everything is fine on the outside but we should not let them keep everything to themselves and choose social media as a medium to express their anger as well as dissatisfaction.

In conclusion, if all Malaysians tend to post negative things online all the time, foreigners will have a bad reputation towards us as we are not aware of what we have posted online. Hence, in order to have a first-class mentality, we should start using the social media wisely and avoid posting something that can lower down our dignity. Think of the consequences and only post or share something that you really understand.

Parents do play an important role in shaping the children’s behaviour online as mentioned above. We better be safe than sorry. Besides that, it is advisable for all users to be extra careful when dealing with online community. This is because we just look at the online personality of a person instead of their real self. Let’s work towards being a social media user with a first-class mentality. Start shaping ourselves to be one and if other users are using it negatively, why don’t we start using the facilities wisely. Let us portray that we Malaysians are on our way to be a nation with a first-class mentality.

Liberation : Media and Casual Sex Culture

by Nur Baizura Bt Roslan

The media in Malaysia has some of the toughest censorship laws bounded whereby the media authorities exerts a substantial control and impose a strict restriction in national security. The Malaysian government is kept to insulate the majority Muslim population from the things that are considered harmful and have foreign influences. For example, the News is censored, and entertainment output can fall foul of the authorities. However, all these do not stop the population to get influenced by the international media, especially towards the explicit content that has widespread produced. With high advance of technology, the media is able to be captured and retrieved by the citizen easily. One of the influences brought by the international media especially western countries are the hookup culture has emerged from more general social shifts taking place during the last century. As early as 1920s, with the rise of automobile use and novel entertainment venues throughout North America, traditional models of courting under parental supervision began to fade. Young adults became even more sexually liberated in the relationships. In addition to that, with the rise of feminism, growth of college party events, widespread availability of birth control (condoms and oral contraceptives) and deposing of parental expectations as central to mating and marriage. Popular media, including television, has become a source of sex education, filled with (inaccurate) portrayals of sexuality. Many popular representations suggest uncommitted sex or hookups, can be both bio-physically and emotionally enjoyable and occur without “strings.” Recent entertainment media have highlighted uncommitted sexual encounters and the more-common-than-not experimentation with this type of behavior. The film Hooking Up, released in 2009, details the chaotic romantic and sexual lives of adolescent characters. The film No Strings Attached, released in 2011 and staring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher, featured the uncommitted element of uncommitted sex as two friends attempt to negotiate a sexual, yet non-romantic, component of their relationship. Popular television shows often portray hooking up as acceptable, entertaining, and perfectly sensible. The hit British series Skins, which began in 2007 and was remade in North America in 2011, often highlights the uncommitted sexual exploits of adolescents. The popular reality show Jersey Shore, which started its run in 2009, glorifies hookups among strangers, acquaintances, friends, and former partners. Popular pro-hookup same-sex representations have also emerged in television series like Queer as Folk and The L-Word. Several popular books on hookups have hit the shelves with unscientific yet racy claims. These include, The Happy Hook-Up: A Single Girl’s Guide to Casual Sex, The Hookup Handbook: A Single Girl’s Guide to Living It Up, Hooking Up: A Girl’s All-Out Guide to Sex and Sexuality, Making the Hook-Up: Edgy Sex With Soul, and 11 Points Guide to Hooking Up: Lists and Advice About First Dates, Hotties, Scandals, Pickups, Threesomes, and Booty Calls.

In a conclusion, the hook up relationship has been a culture or ethics in the western countries, whereby the young teenagers think of sex rather than the essential of the relationship. They are more comfortable in the terms of hooking up rather than pure love. Even though these often happen in the western, but, as a country who easily adopted with the western media will slightly influenced our youngster to behave that way. There are alot of teenagers and youngster begins these type of relationship which later leads to unmarital sex, illegitimate, foundling abortion and others.

PALU…From the Lenses of the Media

by Affendi Abdul Karim

It was supposed to be a usual Friday evening that day on September 28, 2018, just like many days before, in the city of Palu on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Even more, hundreds of people were understood to have gathered for a festival on a beach.

But unfortunately, it was a saddened day to be remembered as the city, and the nearby area of Donggala and Mamuju was hit by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake, and followed shortly by a 5-metre high tsunami. The shocking disaster has resulted in the loss of thousands of human lives and more others were displaced after their homes and buildings were destroyed and washed away.

Palu, located about 1,650 kilometres northeast of the capital, Jakarta, is a city populated by more than 300,000 residents. The city is also famous for its beautiful beaches like Tanjung Karang, Towale, Enu, Malera, and Moian. Many foreign and local tourists will commonly choose for water sports and diving for their relaxing holiday activities in Palu.

However, that common and relaxing atmosphere changes in ‘the blink of an eye’ when the Mother Nature speaks. The strong quake followed by a tsunami which smashed Palu has again moved people across the globe, after the last time the world was shocked by the most devastating Tsunami tragedy in Aceh province on December 26, 2004.

On the day after the quake-tsunami ravaged the Indonesian city of Palu, at least 832 people known to have died in the disaster. The number of dead people is also estimated to increase following the thorough search and rescue operation by the authorities across the city.

Meanwhile, the local and international media, both were seen often updating their reports of the tragedy to highlight the current situation from time to time. The Jakarta Post, Kompas TV and Metro TV were among the local media that first broadcast the breaking news and provide wide coverage about the disaster. They provided an array of footages of the incident, which not only captured through their lenses but by the amateurs.

Despite the footages, the media were also seen to cooperate with the authorities and experts on the disaster, through live interviews and by phone calls as to give the actual and most reliable reports to their audiences. In fact, they even exploited their official social media such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter actively, thus gave the local media a more effective two-way communication with their online users. This could be presumed to have assists the Indonesians and particularly the affected people with the accurate and valid information from the authorities and as to balance the input diffuse by the social media.

Meanwhile, the foreign media like the Guardian of United Kingdom, NDTV, India and the Malaysia broadcast channel, RTM, were also reporting the situation. However as a comparison, the foreign media, which their news sources lie relatively on local correspondents or news agencies, commonly involved in a slightly different approach in news reporting.

Apart from reporting the current situation or search and rescue daily operation, they were seen to facilitate their audiences by visualising the tragedy through the motion graphics and images. They even engage with experts to discuss the impact or by constructing a chronology of the incident to help their audiences in tracking or to have updating reports of the incident which happened abroad. Thus, this indirectly contributed to the people across the world who shared the sorrow and provided help to the Palu people.

The people of Palu and the nearby area were highly affected by the quake-tsunami tragedy. After nearly a month of the incident, the number of dead people is estimated to have reached more than 2,200 and many more are still missing. Approximately 70,000 houses and building were destroyed, damaged and resulted to thousands of people were displaced.

Obviously, it is definitely hard for the affected people to rise again from the tragedy. So, it should be best for the Malaysian to help their neighbour in any ways they can. But, the most important one is to learn the lesson and be prepared to any possible disaster.

Devastating Earthquake and Tsunami in Indonesian Island of Sulawesi: A Lesson to Learn

by Dayang Saliah Noorshamsiah

At least 2,045 people were confirmed dead while as many as 5,000 others are remained missing during a devastating 7.5 – magnitude earthquake and tsunami that struck Palu capital and Donggala Regency, Central Sulawesi the epicenter of the Minahasa Peninsula, one of the four principal peninsulas on the island of Indonesia on September 28^th, 2018 (The Time, 11^th October 2018).

Series of natural disasters happening around our neighboring regions recently include the Typhoon Mangkhut which ripped through the northern Philippines’s land of Luzon, the earthquake in Lombok and the most recent deadly natural disaster in Palu, Sulawesi, should serve as a lesson to us, Malaysians. As a country that exists on the same continent, although from its geographical location Malaysia’s position is outside the ring of fire which accordingly making us protected from most major natural disasters, yet it does not necessarily mean that we should underestimate of any future possibilities.

Apparently, Malaysia is not completely safe from major natural disasters. As evident, the 1976 Sabah Earthquake, 2004 Tsunami in a few coastal areas in Peninsular Malaysia which reportedly has killed around 67 peoples as well as the Sabah Earthquake 2015 which has killed about 18 people. As a matter of fact, since the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake which has led to Tsunami in Aceh, Indonesia, one of the deadliest natural disasters in history, the interest towards tsunami risks in Malaysia has also heighten. These series of events are the evident that our beloved country has experienced and may possibly continue to experience natural disasters and calamities that will affect the lives of many despite of its geographical position. Perhaps up to this date, we are yet to experience deadly major natural disasters but with the series of the mentioned incidents, it shows that Malaysia is also prone to those major disasters. Of course, as some may claims, natural disasters are the act of God and it is inevitable. But the real question is, how well do we have prepared should we encounter the next natural disaster or calamity?

It is undeniable that our national armed forces, fire departments and police force units as well as other emergency response teams are well equipped and trained to react during times of emergencies. But to which extent of emergency situation that we are truly trained and equipped remain the main issue. Given the situation that we encountered so far are the flashfloods and landslides. Questions arise on how if we truly facing a major natural disaster like what happened in Indonesia and Philippine off late? Nevertheless, to fully rely on these teams alone during such unfavorable situation is not enough. What we also need is well-educated and prepared public on how to react should we faced such emergencies in order to at least minimizing the casualties if not to fully avoiding it. Often during such unfavorable situation, public falls victims – panic stricken, confusion and fear – are the common reactions. Hence, it is important that the public are prepared both mentally and physically should any unfortunate events strike. At least with the knowledge of how to react during the emergency situation they can save their own and their families’ life while waiting for further assistance. That is why an environmental awareness and emergency evacuation plan education is very much important among the public even in a country like us, Malaysia.

In this age of information and media sophistication, there are many ways on how environmental awareness and emergency evacuation plan education can be executed by using the media as a medium. Especially with the growing popularity of the social media platform among Malaysia media users, messages can be disseminated instantaneously at all level of people through various social media platform. Emergency evacuation plans campaigns and education for example can be carry out massively using the social media at low very low costs to investigate awareness among the public on the importance of natural disaster preparations. Apart from that, rescue, recovery and rebuilding efforts are also vital to be improved and focused on.

Having the best forms of disaster preparedness goes beyond possessing best facilities and services. The essential part is the infrastructure, manpower and strategic emergency evacuation plans should be constantly maintained, restructured and updated. There is no harm putting forward early prevention and preparation as we will never know when natural disaster may strike. Even if its not major disasters like earthquake, typhoon or tsunami, the annual flash flood that keep on happening in Malaysia every year like a clockwise is also can regards as natural disaster that required serious measures. Not to mention the Highland Towers landslide in 1993, the Cameron Highland mud flood in 2013 are also among other examples of emergency situation. Responsibilities to react during such unfortunate event does not only fall on the government or the emergency response teams alone but on the public as well. Saving and safeguarding lives is not only the job of those who paid or trained but also is the responsibility of each and everyone on this land. In the end, assuming Malaysia is safe from natural disaster is totally wrong and the whiplash of tsunami 2004 has proven that it is time for us Malaysia to start taking it seriously preparing for any possibilities that may happened in the future.

Digital Marketing on the Rise

By Nurul Fathnie Rustam

Source: http://aimhigherafrica.com/

What is digital marketing? Digital marketing is defined by the use of numerous digital tactics and channels to connect with customers where they spend much of their time: online. From the website itself to a business’s online branding assets — digital advertising, email marketing, online brochures, and beyond, there’s a spectrum of tactics that fall under the umbrella of “digital marketing.”

We all know the importance of involving oneself in digital marketing especially if you own a business. Any business will do, be it food and beverages, property, clothing line, education and all types of business require digital marketing unless you are doing it offline. Why? It is simple, because everyone in this world currently owns smartphones and have access to the internet. People nowadays even read newspaper online and watch television dramas online. It is super easy, free and all you need is a high-speed internet connection. Thus, there is no wonder why business men and women nowadays are using this digital marketing to promote and sell their products. Now, what are the advantages of this digital marketing? Why is it so important to businesses?

Firstly, a business man should know that digital marketing tactics is the most cost-effective way to market your business. One of the most important benefits of digital marketing is that it is the most cost-effective way to market your business. When it comes to traditional marketing, it is pretty hard for small companies especially start-ups with limited budgets to compete with big and large companies for ad space. We all know how expensive it is to advertise your business on the television and billboard for example. Now, with digital marketing tactics, small businesses have other better options which are very much affordable than the traditional way.

Secondly, digital marketing allows you to target your ideal buyers. When you purchase ad spaces be it on the billboard or magazine, it is likely you are taking a shot that the message will reach its intended audience. It is different with digital marketing, you can ensure the right consumers are viewing your content. SEO allows you to reach those consumers who are searching the web for content and topics that are related with your business. For example you are selling women’s clothing, make sure you are putting the right title or the right keyword to ensure the SEO will capture the words. Worry not, because it will be targeted to the right audiences without hassle. It is pretty easy right? Just make sure you are putting in the correct keyword to make it easy for your consumer to find your page. Social media advertising enables you to target those who are most likely to be interested in your products or services based on demographic information and general characteristics.

Thirdly, people are on social media and digital marketing can help you reach them. Perhaps the most important on our list of benefits of digital marketing is this. No matter what industry your business is in, there’s a good chance that your buyers are spending their time on social media channels especially Facebook or Twitter. Digital marketing will not only help you reach your consumers, it will also help you to engage with them. You will be able to publish and promote unique content on these social media sites, and you are able to reach your consumers through advertising. Social media platforms like Facebook offer sophisticated targeting options that help you reach the consumers who are most likely to be interested in your products or services. What’s more is that social media also provides an effective platform for communicating with and engaging your target audiences. Rather than just posting content and never hearing from your consumers, you can have one-on-one conversations in real-time that allow you to gain valuable insight into your brand. That’s something that traditional marketing tactics just don’t allow for.

So these are few of the advantages of digital marketing. If you wish to start a new business, do not hesitate to promote your products using digital marketing. Not only it is effective, it is also affordable. Good luck!

SOCIAL COGNITIVE THEORY PROVES ONLINE USERS ARE NOW CONTRIBUTING TO SEXUAL EXPLICIT CONTENT IN SOCIAL MEDIA

By: Zayana Isa

A smartphone is indeed no longer a requirement in our lives; it has becoming a need instead. Statistics by Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission in 2017 stated that smartphone users contribute 89.4% of the device used by Internet users to access the Internet where smartphones remain the most popular means for users to access Internet. According to the statistics, 89.3% of Internet users visiting social networking sites to socialize and build up networking. By looking at our society nowadays, the above statement is undeniable anymore. Scenarios such as bosses give an order or work instructions on the phone, a teacher leave homework messages through Whatsapp group for students to finish their homework at home and a husband simply a message to his wife upon meals for the dinner are closest example that we can relate on how people nowadays occupied themselves with smartphones all the time.

In other cases, have we ever encountered in a restaurant where a group of youngsters are having their dinner, yet everyone is enjoying their “meals” with the smartphones? These scenarios are no longer unusual situation to be seen. However, there’s something more serious that we need to ponder and look into. Since the social media has taken place more than it supposed to be, the content of what users post in it might be abused by some people. The emergence of new media, especially the social media has taken the world of communication to other dimensions. Users are mostly occupied with their online social network and socializing among themselves virtually.

Research by Sirianni & Vishwanath (2012) suggested that online users now are becoming sexually self-produced materials which also known as sexually explicit user-generated content (SEUGC). SEUGC is defined as non-professional photos, videos or written messages (e-mail, instant messages, blogs, mobile phone text messages) that are created by individuals planning, soliciting or actually engaging in sexual activities for non-profit purposes.

In addition, some scholars have observed that the prevalence of sexual self-presentations on social media seems to reflect the prevalence of sexual messages in mass media content popular among adolescents (Vandenbosch et al, 2015). Literally, the content of social media that is controlled by the users itself became an explicit content as we can see many photos or videos posted in social media (Instagram and YouTube).

By looking at Social Cognitive Theory, Bandura (1978) explains that behavioral, personal and environmental factors influence people’s thoughts and behaviors simultaneously in a reciprocal fashion. Behavior is contingent on expected outcomes which represent what individuals might expect to achieve from performing a specific behavior and serve as motivators that guide people’s behavior (Sirianni & Vishwanath, 2012). The online users are actually been influenced by the social media society where there are users who posted their nude photos shamelessly and those who are seeing it repeatedly may be influenced by the behavioral and doing the same things. In Malaysia context, this is totally against what we practice in our culture and beliefs.

Bandura (2008) also finds that behavioral, cognitive and affective learning can be achieved not only direct experience but also vicariously by observing the actions of others and the outcomes that they engender. The online users find any post on nudity or sexual explicit may not be harmful as they’ve seen on the Internet and as a result, their actions of posting such photos or videos is harmless and they think they have the rights of doing so.

However, the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum (CMCF) has already provided the Content Code that we should abide. Under the Guideline on Content; Indecent Content states that materials which are offensive, morally improper and against current standards of accepted behavior including nudity and sex and Obscene Content are prohibited. Many users may not aware of this Content Code and they might be offended by any actions of such prohibited content.

Overall, the recent studies by scholars show that mainstream mass media content have the potential to stimulate adolescents to produce and distribute their own sexual self-portrayals (Vandebosch et al.,2015). As far as the SCT is concerned, the online users are influenced by the behavior they adapt through the social media society.

-end-