Kota Kinabalu — With the rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence and automation tools, false information, scams, and cyberbullying have evolved into a vast “black industry chain” that is steadily eroding public trust and social cohesion.
Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Supreme Council Member, Lim Kat Chung, stressed that scam syndicates are now leveraging AI to create fake voices and deepfake videos, while orchestrating online groups to simulate “lively interactions.” These tactics mislead victims into believing they are part of genuine communities, only to later fall prey to astroturfing (or “pig-butchering”) scams. Such methods, he warned, are deliberately designed to exploit human weaknesses: blind conformity and the craving for recognition.
He also cautioned that political opinion manipulation is an alarming extension of this model. Malicious actors deploy cyber troopers and attack bots, combining disinformation, fake traffic, and fraudulent schemes to fabricate a distorted public opinion landscape. This engineered “majority voice” can mislead citizens and ultimately undermine the very foundation of democracy. He said, if such tactics are abused in the upcoming state election, the consequences would be dire.
However, Lim noted that the public has long questioned the lack of balance in MCMC’s enforcement:
• Action is often taken against government critics rather than genuine purveyors of false information and scams.
• The recent push for anonymous data collection has further fueled public distrust due to its lack of transparency and safeguards.
In response, Lim issued three key calls to action:
1. MCMC must act fairly and without bias, taking firm action against false information, scams, and malicious bots instead of engaging in selective enforcement.
2. Tech companies and social media platforms must assume responsibility to curb the spread of disinformation and fraudulent content.
3. The public must remain vigilant and think critically, especially during the state election period, to calmly discern truth from falsehood.
“We must cut off the profit chain of this black industry and confront the weaknesses of human nature. Only through cooperation between the authorities and the public can we safeguard information integrity and financial security. Strengthening media literacy, ensuring fair enforcement, and building transparent systems are the keys to protecting public trust and our democratic institutions,” Lim concluded.
Issued by:
Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP)
Supreme Council Member
Lim Kat Chung