KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s administration has been urged to do more to curb the escalation of harmful narratives and hate speech in the wake of ethnic and religious-based narratives being incited on social media.

Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) executive director Wathshlah Naidu today called for the formation of an independent commission whose tasks would be to review the root causes and drivers of harmful narratives and hate speech.

She said the commission should also consult with civil society organisations to better understand the nature of hate speech and how to proportionately respond to it.

However, she said policy makers must ensure that any measures adopted to combat hate speech do not unduly impair freedom of expression and speech.

"Any restrictions to freedom of expression and speech must meet international human rights standards of legitimacy, necessity and proportionality,” she said, adding that the Rabat Plan of Action would serve as a policy framework.

Adopted in October 2012, the Rabat Plan of Action is the outcome of a series of expert meetings organised by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

It stresses the collective responsibility of State officials, religious and community leaders, the media, civil society and all individuals to nurture social unity, tolerance and dialogue to prevent incitement to hatred.

Apart from the commission’s formation, Wathshlah also urged a review of the Election Offences Act, particularly Section 4A (1) and Section 9, to explicitly tackle hate speech during election campaigning.

Section 4A(1) deals with the offence of promoting feelings of ill-will or hostility during campaigning while Section 9 deals with undue influence on voters.

Wathshlah also said the media played a pivotal role in guarding against the propagation of hate speech but taking on the responsibility of providing counter amplification to combat the proliferation of messages of intolerance or expressions which may incite violence, hostility, or discrimination against others.

"The media should refrain from giving such politics a forum or platform.

"Continue ethical and responsible journalistic practices as the standard bearer of facts and the watchdog of democracy.

"This should also include reporting on different groups or persons who are often the targets of hate speech and giving their members the opportunity to speak and to be heard in a way that promotes a better understanding of their perspectives and experiences,” she said.

As for politicians, Wathshlah stated it goes without saying that political actors have both a political obligation and an ethical responsibility to refrain from using hate speech and stigmatising language. Last but not least, she also said social media platforms must put resources into timely detecting and responding to user complaints about removing harmful messages on their platforms.

"Both automated and human moderation must be available in multiple languages and be able to contextualise and algorithmically demote hate speech to ensure it does not become virulent prior to removal,” she said.