Pusat KOMAS A-2-10 Avenue 8, Jalan Sungai Jernih 8/1, Seksyen 8, 46050, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Tel/Fax: (+6) 03 7968 5415 Email: info@komas.org Website: www.komas.org

11th National Conference on Non-Discrimination

Impacts of the Internet on Racism and Racial Discrimination

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-cultural country which has

undergone an interesting nation-building exercise. The nation is built based on the spirit of
‘Muhibbah’ where people with distinct culture, racial and religious live peacefully and
harmoniously together. For decades, the image of unity in diversity is celebrated by all walks
of people in Malaysia and is well known around the world. As a nation, Malaysia has
consistently invested its energy and efforts to unify the country. In fact, the 10th Prime Minister
of Malaysia, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had reiterated the need to have a united and harmonious
nation by introducing the “MADANI” framework of governance. Through this framework, the
Prime Minister emphasized the need to foster unity amongst all Malaysians. This outlook is
highly welcomed as it is an elementary step to build a Malaysia for all citizens to call home
and feel belonged to.

Despite the efforts, Malaysia continues to bear the consequences of colonial laws and
policies implemented by colonial masters prior to independence. This is reflected in Pusat
KOMAS annual Malaysia Racial Discrimination Report where irresponsible individuals and
groups continue to use race and religion as a tool to garner political mileage and to sow discord
among Malaysians under the pretext of defending the rights of one’s race and religion. Hate
speech and associated disinformation and misinformation that scapegoat and stigmatize other
ethnic and religious minorities in the pretext of defending one’s race and religion continue to
manifest itself in Malaysia. These actions have incited religious and racial hatred, leading to
discriminatory actions and behaviours.

The widespread use of the internet to disseminate hatred and promote one’s racial and
religious ideologies may exacerbate extreme behaviours and actions by coalescing with pre-
existing simmering hatred and xenophobia. This is reflected in the recent 15th General Elections
where threats of violence and call for bloodshed against other ethnic groups were found in
during political campaigns and after the General Elections. The internet and the tools that come
along it can never be completely neutral as the values and interests of those who design or use
it are bound to be reflected in their design or usage of it.1. For example, social media is found
to play a pivotal role in the propagation of racist speech and incitement to discrimination and
violence2. As social media is used as an information-sharing tool, bots – automated accounts
to manipulate facts – have been used to shift political discourse and misrepresent public
opinion, creating an influence on voting patterns of Malaysians3 (and in many other countries
like the Philippines). Similarly, the design and use of other internet tools can directly and
indirectly discriminate along racial or ethnic lines. For example, automated employment
systems which allow employers to sort and filter prospective employees by categories may
allow for discrimination to happen as employers filter candidates by race or other categories
that can serve as proxies for race4.

1
Langdon Winner, The Whale and The Reactor: A Search for Limits in an Age of High Technology (Chicago, University of
Chicago Press, 1986), p. 29.
2
Malaysia Racial Discrimination Report 2021
3
South China Morning Post, “Leaked files show Najib’s Umno used Cambridge Analytica to influence voters in Malaysia’s
2013 polls” 4 Jan 2020. See: https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3044630/leaked-files-show-najibs-
umno-used-cambridge-analytica
4
Report of the Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism,
racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, “Racial discrimination and emerging digital technologies: a
human rights analysis” A/HRC/44/57, 18 June 2020. See: https://antiracismsr.org/wp-
content/uploads/2020/07/A_HRC_44_57_AdvanceEditedVersion.pdf
 Pusat KOMAS A-2-10 Avenue 8, Jalan Sungai Jernih 8/1, Seksyen 8, 46050, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Tel/Fax: (+6) 03 7968 5415 Email: info@komas.org Website: www.komas.org

Similarly, different internet tools can be combined intentionally and unintentionally to

create racially discriminatory structures that undermine the enjoyment of human rights for
groups based on their race, ethnicity or national origin. In this sense, the internet, though
helpful, may exacerbate issues of racism and racial discrimination. Additionally, in Malaysia,
the existing legal and policy frameworks are inadequate to address the use of internet to
perpetuate racism. Malaysia continues to use archaic and colonial laws such as the Penal Code,
Sedition Act and Communications and Multimedia Act to address these issues. However, these
laws are often misused by the government to silence and penalise dissidents rather than to
address this issue in a systematic way. Unfortunately, we do not have a good legal framework
to address this issue.

Hence, it is important to examine the impacts of the internet on racism and racial
discrimination within the local context of Malaysia. Pusat KOMAS and many others strongly
support the growth and the use of such technologies to facilitate day-to-day operations;
however, such technologies should not pervade access to and enjoyment of human rights in all
areas of life. Additionally, it is important for all stakeholders to be prepared to manage the
downsides of the use of such tools to ensure that it is compliant to principles of equality and
non-discrimination. Prior to this national conference, two regional conferences on the similar
topics were conducted in Penang and Sabah respectively. The findings obtained from the
regional conferences will be shared and discuss in this conference.

The national conference will be participated by different stakeholders including

government statutory bodies, non-governmental organisations, education institutions,
academicians, political parties and community members. The key objectives of the national
conference are:

● To provide an open multi-stakeholder platform to enable constructive discussions on

the impacts of internet on racism and racial discrimination
● To have a deeper understanding of the current situation of the use of internet in
Malaysia and evaluate it in the Malaysian context
● To identify and inspire new thinking to address to address the impacts of emerging
digital technologies on racism and racial discrimination, with a view to advocate to
government to enable a better protection mechanism in place against hate speech.
Pusat KOMAS A-2-10 Avenue 8, Jalan Sungai Jernih 8/1, Seksyen 8, 46050, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Tel/Fax: (+6) 03 7968 5415 Email: info@komas.org Website: www.komas.org

Launch of the Malaysia Racism Report 2022 and

11th National Conference on Non-Discrimination
Impacts of the Internet on Racism and Racial Discrimination

Programme Schedule*
Date: 21 March 2023 (Tuesday)
Time: 0830 – 1745
Location: Connexion Conference & Event Centre, Nexus Bangsar South

Time Agenda

0830 – 0900 Registration

(0850 – 0900) (Arrival of Minister of Communications and Digital)

0900 – 0910 Welcome Address

Mr. Jerald Joseph
Director, Pusat KOMAS

0910 – 0930 Officiating Remarks

YB Fahmi Fadzil
Minister of Communications and Digital

0930 – 0945 Group Photo

0945 – 1115 Keynote Address:

Ms. Ashwini K. P.
Special Rapporteur on Contemporary Forms of Racism, Racial
Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance

Moderator:
Mr. Jerald Joseph
Director, Pusat KOMAS

1115 – 1130 Tea Break

1130 – 1200 Presentation of the 2022 Malaysia Racism Report

Mr Awang Ilham
Programme Coordinator Pusat KOMAS

1200 – 1245 Commentaries on the 2022 Malaysia Racism Report

1. Dr. Hew Wai Weng
Head of Centre of Occidental Studies, UKM (TBC)
2. Ms. Wan Atikah Wan Yusoff
Programme Coordinator, HARMONICO

Question & Answer

Moderator:
Dr. Ryan Chua
Programme Director, Pusat KOMAS
 Pusat KOMAS A-2-10 Avenue 8, Jalan Sungai Jernih 8/1, Seksyen 8, 46050, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Tel/Fax: (+6) 03 7968 5415 Email: info@komas.org Website: www.komas.org

1245 – 1415 Lunch

1415 – 1545 Session 1:

The Impacts of the Internet on Racism and Racial Discrimination in
Malaysia

1. Dr. Ryan Chua

Programme Director, Pusat KOMAS
2. Ms. Freeda Jane
Research Manager, Wisdom Foundation
3. YB
Ms. Syed Saddiq Patto
Kasthuriraani
Member of Parliament
Former Batu Kawan MP for(TBC)
Muar (TBC)

Moderator:
Mr. Ridzuan Tempek, Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung
Malaysia (JKOASM) (TBC)

1545 – 1600 Tea Break

1600 – 1745 Session 2:

Tackling Hate Speech Online: What do we need to do legally,
socially and politically?

1. Ms. Karen Cheah

President, Bar Council
2. Mr. Sheridan Mahavera
Freelance Journalist
3. Mr. Hafizin Tajudin
Head of Public Policy, TikTok Malaysia

Moderator:
Ms. Beverly Joeman
National Coordinator, CSO Platform for Reform

1745 Closing Remarks and End

Dr. Ryan Chua
Programme Director, Pusat KOMAS

*Programme subject to change.