(Miri, 7th) Following the recent statement by Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president and Sarawak Deputy Premier Dato Amar Dr. Sim Kui Hian that the Sarawak election may be less than 100 days away, SUPP Pujut Youth Wing’s Promotion and Education Secretary, Chen Yihao, said that although the Sarawak election date has yet to be officially announced and the claim about less than 100 days remains a prediction, once the Sarawak election truly enters the countdown phase, the internet will inevitably be flooded with various political information, comments, and battles of public opinion.
Therefore, he called on young people to maintain a rational mindset, especially first-time and young voters, to rationally analyze all kinds of information online and avoid being misled by one-sided opinions, false information, and opposition party propaganda.
Chen Yihao believes that nowadays, information spreads at lightning speed on the internet; a single message can quickly go viral across major social media platforms in a short time. However, the faster the information spreads, the easier it is for fake news and distorted content to circulate. Without discernment, youths are easily influenced.
“Many young people now are used to getting information from short videos, social media posts, or online comments, but not all online content is true, complete, and objective. With rapid developments in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, more and more AI-generated images, videos, and audio content are appearing online, some of which are so realistic that they can easily be mistaken for the real thing, making it difficult for ordinary people to distinguish truth from falsehood. Especially during elections, some edited, tampered, or AI-generated content is often used by certain individuals with ulterior motives to mislead the public. To achieve political aims, they often take things out of context and even amplify individual issues in order to stir social discontent and attempt to sway young voters’ opinions of the government.”
Chen Yihao further pointed out that when young people face various political and social issues, they should not only listen to one side, but should utilize multiple channels to understand the full context and make judgments based on facts and real results. At the same time, when evaluating the Sarawak government’s performance, young people should take facts and outcomes as the standard, and recognize the long-term people-benefiting policies promoted by the Sarawak government.
He said that under the “Sarawak First” philosophy, for many years, the Sarawak government has persisted in launching a variety of policies and assistance programs benefitting the people, including the Sarawak Basic Necessities Assistance Scheme (SKAS), free higher education policy, the Sarawak tertiary student flight ticket subsidy, and many youth development measures, all enabling Sarawakians of different ages and backgrounds to benefit. “These policies are not just election slogans, but real measures that have been put into practice in people’s daily lives. From education, transportation, economic assistance to basic infrastructure, the Sarawak government consistently works to improve people’s standards of living, so that citizens can enjoy better development opportunities.”
At the same time, Chen Yihao also shared his own experience as an example, describing how Sarawak government aid policies have provided practical help to Sarawak tertiary students. He said that when he was accepted to further his studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang, he had to transfer through Kuala Lumpur and other places, which not only took more time but also increased flight costs.
“For many students from Sarawak, going to Peninsular Malaysia for further studies involves not only tuition fees, but travel expenses are also a heavy burden. Every time a semester starts, and during holidays or graduation season, airfare prices often increase, causing stress for many students and parents.”
He said he deeply understands the real difficulties Sarawak students face when studying in Peninsular Malaysia, and is therefore very grateful for the Sarawak government’s initiative to launch the tertiary student flight ticket subsidy scheme. Many beneficiaries have given positive feedback about the policy, and this is a concrete manifestation of the Sarawak government understanding and addressing the people’s needs.
Chen Yihao also emphasized that young people are an important force for the future development of Sarawak, and they should continue to uphold the spirit of unity, actively participate in social development, and safeguard Sarawak’s interests with concrete actions, working together to create a more prosperous and advanced Sarawak.
“Only Sarawakians truly understand what Sarawak really needs, and only Sarawakians can speak for their own future. For a long time, SUPP has been committed to fighting for Sarawak’s rights, ensuring that Sarawak receives its due resources in Malaysia’s development process.”
Chen Yihao believes that nowadays, information spreads at lightning speed on the internet; a single message can quickly go viral across major social media platforms in a short time. However, the faster the information spreads, the easier it is for fake news and distorted content to circulate. Without discernment, youths are easily influenced.
“Many young people now are used to getting information from short videos, social media posts, or online comments, but not all online content is true, complete, and objective. With rapid developments in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, more and more AI-generated images, videos, and audio content are appearing online, some of which are so realistic that they can easily be mistaken for the real thing, making it difficult for ordinary people to distinguish truth from falsehood. Especially during elections, some edited, tampered, or AI-generated content is often used by certain individuals with ulterior motives to mislead the public. To achieve political aims, they often take things out of context and even amplify individual issues in order to stir social discontent and attempt to sway young voters’ opinions of the government.”
Chen Yihao further pointed out that when young people face various political and social issues, they should not only listen to one side, but should utilize multiple channels to understand the full context and make judgments based on facts and real results. At the same time, when evaluating the Sarawak government’s performance, young people should take facts and outcomes as the standard, and recognize the long-term people-benefiting policies promoted by the Sarawak government.
He said that under the “Sarawak First” philosophy, for many years, the Sarawak government has persisted in launching a variety of policies and assistance programs benefitting the people, including the Sarawak Basic Necessities Assistance Scheme (SKAS), free higher education policy, the Sarawak tertiary student flight ticket subsidy, and many youth development measures, all enabling Sarawakians of different ages and backgrounds to benefit. “These policies are not just election slogans, but real measures that have been put into practice in people’s daily lives. From education, transportation, economic assistance to basic infrastructure, the Sarawak government consistently works to improve people’s standards of living, so that citizens can enjoy better development opportunities.”
At the same time, Chen Yihao also shared his own experience as an example, describing how Sarawak government aid policies have provided practical help to Sarawak tertiary students. He said that when he was accepted to further his studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang, he had to transfer through Kuala Lumpur and other places, which not only took more time but also increased flight costs.
“For many students from Sarawak, going to Peninsular Malaysia for further studies involves not only tuition fees, but travel expenses are also a heavy burden. Every time a semester starts, and during holidays or graduation season, airfare prices often increase, causing stress for many students and parents.”
He said he deeply understands the real difficulties Sarawak students face when studying in Peninsular Malaysia, and is therefore very grateful for the Sarawak government’s initiative to launch the tertiary student flight ticket subsidy scheme. Many beneficiaries have given positive feedback about the policy, and this is a concrete manifestation of the Sarawak government understanding and addressing the people’s needs.
Chen Yihao also emphasized that young people are an important force for the future development of Sarawak, and they should continue to uphold the spirit of unity, actively participate in social development, and safeguard Sarawak’s interests with concrete actions, working together to create a more prosperous and advanced Sarawak.
“Only Sarawakians truly understand what Sarawak really needs, and only Sarawakians can speak for their own future. For a long time, SUPP has been committed to fighting for Sarawak’s rights, ensuring that Sarawak receives its due resources in Malaysia’s development process.”