Racially-motivated videos on TikTok targeting children

KUALA LUMPUR: Several Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders have called for immediate action to be taken against those spreading videos propagating racial sentiments with children as the target audience.

Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil in his tweet said the future of the country would be damaged if political slanders continue to poison the minds of children.

“This must stop,” he wrote, on top of an attachment carrying two Facebook screenshots. Fahmi’s post was also retweeted by Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh and Puchong MP Yeo Bee Yin.

In the screenshots, two parents wrote about their recent conversation with their children after the 15th General Election (GE15).

Facebook user Hafiz Azam said his firstborn who is still in primary school told him that she would have to wear a skirt to school if PH comes into power and that the call of Azan (Muslim prayer) would no longer be heard in the country.

“I asked where did she hear about this and she said her friends told her about videos on TikTok.

“If such thing is allowed to go on, it will cause our future generation to be drowned in the doctrine of religious and racial deception,” he wrote.

Another parent, Azam Karap who is former Kuala Perlis assemblyman shared a similar experience with his daughter.

“After picking her up from school I asked if her friends made fun of her since her father is no longer a state assemblyman and she said no.

“But her friend said that it was a good thing PH didn’t win because otherwise, all girls will have to wear skirts to school.

“My daughter answered: ‘My daddy has been in PH all this while and I never had to wear a skirt to school’.

“Look at how such slander has been spreading to our children. This is an evil narrative being played on TikTok to the point that even an 11-year-old child could have this sort of mindset,” he wrote.

Setiawangsa MP Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad joined the chorus and urged Malaysians to stay calm and not be influenced by such hatred.

“The people of Malaysia must remain calm and not be influenced by the racial incitement made by irresponsible parties,” he said.

Last night, PH chairman Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim expressed concern about racial sentiments and rhetoric being flamed by certain quarters, adding that the formation of a new government should not be disrupted by such a narrative.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani has also reminded the public not to incite or stir up racial and religious hatred on social media as it could threaten public order.

He said since the announcement of the GE15 results, the police have detected various social media content that touched on racial and religious sentiments.

Acryl also issued a stern warning to social media users to refrain from misusing the platforms for the wrong reasons and that action can be taken under the Communications and Multimedia Commission Act 1998, the Sedition Act and the Penal Code.

nst