Social media grows in region

KUALA LUMPUR — The eleventh Conference of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI-11) ended here yesterday with a statement acknowledging that social media was emerging as the fastest growing medium of communication in the region.

Themed Media: Connecting People and Bridging Cultures towards One ASEAN Community, the conference discussed the emergence of modern communication tools to disseminate information on ASEAN and the ASEAN Community.

Ministers agreed on the need to promote the role of mass media, including the application of social media and digital communication, to disseminate information on the ASEAN community, spreading social values and regional identity.

Head of the Vietnamese delegation, Deputy Minister of Information and Communications Nguyen Thanh Hung, said the role of communication in regional connection was to help create an active ASEAN that shared challenges for mutual benefit and peace.

Since joining ASEAN, Viet Nam has contributed much to the organisation's development. The country has also created television programmes, cultural and exchange activities with other ASEAN nations to help build an ASEAN Community of unity, co-operation, friendship.

The next AMRI will be held in Myanmar in 2014. — VNS



AsiaOne
Friday, Mar 02, 2012

ASEAN member states need to lay out a multi-platform network to engage the mainstream and social media to facilitate free flow of information.

In making the call, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the move would enlighten the people and create mutual support and assistance among Asean member states.

"This must be given utmost priority so that our people won't be groping in the dark on this important development in the region.

"I believe that by being empowered with the right kind of information, we can go on with our work with a greater sense of purpose and mission," he said in his speech at the 11th Conference of Asean Ministers Responsible for Information.

This is the second time Malaysia is hosting the biennial, three-day conference. It last hosted the event in 1991.

Muhyiddin called on Asean to engage the people through the social media as it is an important aspect of the global community, as clearly seen in the recent events in the Middle East.

"Social media provides us with an excellent medium to reach out and understand the aspirations and concerns of our people."

He said to realise the vision of an Asean community, there was a need to promote greater understanding and appreciation of the political systems, culture and history of its members. As such, Muhyiddin would like to see more Asean sectoral bodies taking more projects and activities through academic conferences, workshops and seminars.

"We must also encourage the release of periodical publications on the dynamics of Asean member states' political development, culture and history for dissemination to the public.

Muhyiddin also believed the regional grouping needed to work harder to create an Asean identity that represented its collective personalities, norms, values and beliefs. To do so, Muhyiddin added, efforts must be intensified to create a sense of belonging, consolidate unity in diversity and enhance a deeper mutual understanding among Asean members of their culture, history, religion and civilisation.

He believed the region would be "a force to be reckoned with" if Asean was more cohesive and emphasise on its symbiotic relationships. "Our cultural diversity is an advantage in nurturing creativity that is the key to the region's competitiveness. Creativity spurs innovation and therefore, Asean must encourage its people to be more creative and innovative in propelling the economic activities of their countries," he said.