Pas Delegate Urges Party To Assist Digital Fighters Who Run Into Trouble

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PAS MUKTAMAR | A PAS delegate at the party’s 71st muktamar today raised concern over the welfare of their "digital fighters".
Mardhiyyah Johari, who represented the party's Ameerah unit for young women, said some pro-PAS social media influencers have been cyber-bullied, threatened, and encountered trouble with authorities due to their political work.
According to the Pengkalan Kundor assemblyperson, despite the important role that content creators play for PAS, it seems they do not receive much help from the party when they are in trouble.
"We expect them to be aggressive in fighting (for us) on the frontline, but it appears that they have to bear the risks themselves with very minimal assistance from the party.
"There is a lack of protection or support whenever they face trouble. I was once contacted by an influencer who is not from PAS, asking whether PAS is helping one of our influencers who was afraid to go to work after receiving a legal notice over a TikTok content.
"Since I am from among them, I want to take this opportunity to raise the issues faced by influencers, TikTokers, and social media players, so that all PAS delegates and leaders are aware of their plight," she said when debating PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's policy speech.
Hit with civil suits
Mardhiyyah stressed that the influencers and content creators cannot be left to deal with the issues without proper assistance.
The lawyer pointed out that some of them have been sued for hundreds of thousands of ringgit, which requires proper legal advice and representation.
While PAS' legal and human rights bureau has always been on standby to assist, she said not all of their lawyers can afford to provide pro bono service.
"My fellow delegates, if these influencers choose to stop, then their followers would also stop spreading their content.
"This would, in turn, change the algorithm in social media. We should be concerned about this," she added.
The young women’s unit proposed that the party set up a special committee at the national level to collect and address all cases involving influencers and social media players who are active as PAS agents, regardless of whether they have a huge following or not. - Mkini

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