KULAI: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has not yet received any complaints regarding offensive comments involving the 3R elements (royalty, race, religion) related to the promotional video for the George Town Festival 2024 (GTF 2024).
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching advised all parties, especially the organisers, to be more aware of the content of a programme, especially those involving racial diversity, to avoid sensitive issues.
"Perhaps there was a mistake on the part of the organisers, but it should not become a racial issue. Be a responsible netizen and do not misuse the facilities provided.
"I hope the organisers can learn from this mistake," she said after visiting the telecommunications tower site at Kampung Murni Jaya 2 and Kampung Tersusun Murni Jaya here today.
Teo said Malaysians should be proud of their multiracial diversity and it was important to celebrate their ethnic diversity.
She also advised against exploiting the issue related to the GTF 2024 promotional video as a racial issue.
"The general public, including social media users, have the right to express their dissatisfaction with the issue but should not be excessive.
"Excessive comments would only worsen the situation and may lead to racial tension," she added.
"As we always emphasise, the public has the right to criticise an issue but not to an extreme level.
"As Malaysians, they have the right to comment, but do not take the opportunity to turn it into a racial issue," she said.
Last Tuesday, the organisers of GTF 2024 apologised and took down their promotional video after being accused of not highlighting Malay culture.
A spokesperson for the organisers reported that all "teaser" video clips on all social media channels and websites were removed to reduce any "misunderstanding".
Earlier, several parties, including the Penang Malay Association (Pemenang) and the Penang State Malay Culture and Arts Association, condemned the promotional video, claiming it only promoted Chinese and Indian cultures.