(Photo: The Star)

Malaysia’s national broadcaster RTM was one of the most reliable and trustworthy news outlets in terms of its coverage of the recent general election, the country’s new Digital Communications Minister has said.

Fahmi Fadzil told the New Straits Times that Malaysians still relied on RTM because it was free-to-air and it was an important aspect of his ministry.

“At the same time, we have to look at what can be done for RTM, either in terms of content or format, as well as the challenges they are facing with regard to viewership. These are some aspects that I am interested in.

“I look forward to getting to know more about RTM and exploring new opportunities for our media.”

Mr Fahmi said fighting the spread of fake, misleading and extremist content, especially on social media, was top on the list of missions.

He described the situation as worrying, with the latest being the dissemination of racially charged hate videos on TikTok.

“We must draw the line. People who spread misinformation, fake news and extremist content must be taken to court. Social media platforms must respect laws in this country.”