–says false narratives threaten public trust, national unity and key government programmes

MINISTER within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs Kwame McCoy has called out Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed and his associates for deliberately spreading misinformation aimed at undermining government programmes.
Delivering the feature address at the National Communications Network (NCN)’s 21st Annual General Meeting at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, McCoy said the rise of misinformation and disinformation poses a serious threat to national development and unity.
The minister told staff and management that the role of the State broadcaster has become even more important in an era dominated by social media, artificial intelligence and instant information sharing.
“We are operating in an era shaped by digital technology, instant information, social media, artificial intelligence and, regrettably, a growing culture of misinformation and disinformation,” McCoy said.
According to him, false information can spread across the country within seconds, damaging reputations, creating confusion, and eroding public trust.
He used as a typical example the widespread criticism of the government’s school breakfast initiative, allegedly instigated by the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) leader in a bid to discredit the programme through misleading social media content.
“We see it every day, right before our eyes, that someone could take a mildew sandwich, and upload it on their social media page. As mischievous as that is, it seeks to destroy a programme of government that is important for the children of this country,” he said.
The minister specifically accused Mohamed and his supporters of attempting to undermine government initiatives for political purposes.
“Those are the sort of things Azruddin Mohamed and his crooked associates will do to try to pull down this and everything else, and they call it politics,” McCoy said.
He further contended that individuals responsible for spreading false narratives often attempt to shield themselves behind claims of credibility.
“The person with the most sordid credibility; irreparable credibility, seeks to claim credibility. It tells us how bad it is on this subject of misinformation and disinformation,” he added.
McCoy stressed that combatting misinformation requires swift responses and accurate reporting, noting that the government places significant emphasis on exposing falsehoods because of the dangers they pose to social cohesion and national progress.
“A manipulated image, an AI-generated video, or a reckless social media post can create confusion and damage reputations, undermine public confidence, and even threaten national unity,” he said.
Against that backdrop, the minister challenged NCN to ensure that its information remains the most trusted and thoroughly verified in the country.
“In this environment, the role of a national broadcaster is not diminished. It is, in fact, more essential,” McCoy told the gathering.