Nationhood And Patriotic Programmes Prove Highly Effective - Fahmi 

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 6 (Bernama) -- The effectiveness of nationhood and patriotic programmes organised by the Communications Ministry remains high, reflecting the success of efforts to strengthen Malaysians’ love for the nation, said Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

He said the Information Department (JAPEN), as the lead agency, had conducted a study involving 5,044 respondents from various backgrounds, ethnicities, and age groups. The findings showed an effectiveness rate of 91 per cent, equivalent to a mean score of 4.55 on the Likert scale.

“The overall analysis shows that the programmes held in conjunction with National Day and Malaysia Day have not only succeeded in enhancing the spirit of nationhood and patriotism but also fostered pride and affection for the country across all segments of society,” he said when replying to a question from Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli (PN-Dungun) in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Fahmi said the National Day celebration held in Putrajaya on Aug 31 drew more than 100,000 visitors, including those who camped overnight in Precincts 2 and 3 to show their support.

However, he said the spirit of patriotism should not be confined to August and September but should instead be cultivated continuously in daily life.

As such, Fahmi said JAPEN has introduced various year-round initiatives, including the Info on Wheels (IOW) programme, the modular Kembara Merdeka Jalur Gemilang (KMJG) tour, patriotic activities in schools and institutions of higher learning, and the development of digital patriotic content to engage the youth.

Replying to Wan Hassan’s supplementary question on incidents of inverted flags and visual errors involving the Jalur Gemilang, including those generated using artificial intelligence (AI), the minister said these issues stemmed from mechanical negligence that must be rectified collectively.

“Perhaps the prompts used and the resulting images need to be improved, and at the community level, we have held explanatory sessions and modules to raise awareness,” he said.

Meanwhile, replying to a question from Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh (PH-Ledang) on the level of patriotism among Generations Z and Alpha, Fahmi said the delivery of patriotic messages should be tailored to their language, media consumption habits, and information-receiving patterns.

“I think this is something we need to look into. They may no longer read newspapers, as most of them are on social media, so we may need to focus on that medium to convey such messages,” he said.

-- BERNAMA