Expert Consultation Series on Online Hate and Violent Extremism

Kuala Lumpur, 24-30 January 2024– The Initiative to Promote Tolerance and Prevent Violence (INITIATE.MY) has successfully organised Expert Consultation Series on Online Hate and Violent Extremism, which brought together more than 50 participants, representing civil society organisations, academia, tech and media companies, and government agencies. This project is supported by the British High Commission in Malaysia.

These consultation series provided insightful feedback and suggestions on the dangerous trends of online hate and violent extremism in Malaysia following the 2022 General Election in Malaysia. Participants also identified existing efforts and ways to improve these efforts to combat the dangerous trends.

The consultation featured guest speakers such as Dr. Nawab Osman, Global Head of the Dangerous Organisations and Individuals Programme at Meta, Dr. Sabariah Mohamed Salleh, Coordinator at JomCheck Malaysia, and Kennimrod Sariburaja, Director of Research and Publication at Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT).

INITIATE.MY aims to harness the insights gathered from the consultation series to develop and enhance multi-sectoral policy recommendations. These recommendations will be instrumental in addressing the concerning rise of hate and violent extremism in the digital realm, ultimately fostering safer environments, both online and offline, for Malaysia’s diverse multi-racial and religious society.