KUCHING: Media and information literacy has become an essential skill in today’s age of artificial intelligence (AI), where technology increasingly shapes how people think, communicate, and consume information.
Education, Innovation and Talent Development Minister, Datuk Seri Roland Sagah Wee Inn, said that access to technology alone is no longer sufficient as it must be matched with the wisdom to use it ethically and responsibly.
He noted that the theme of this year’s Global Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Week, ‘Minds Over AI: Media and Information Literacy in Digital Spaces’, aptly reflects the urgent need to build an information-literate society in an increasingly complex digital landscape.
“Our youths are not only digital natives, but also the future leaders who will face challenges my generation could hardly imagine, such as algorithmic manipulation, cyberbullying, and the spread of disinformation,” he said.
Sagah’s speech was delivered by his Deputy Minister, Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee, during the opening of the Sarawak Global Media and Information Literacy Dialogue 2025 (SGMILD 2025) at Pustaka Negeri Sarawak today.
“As one young Sarawakian told me recently, we don’t just need access to technology, we need the wisdom to use it well,” he added.
“That is what media and information literacy provides: the wisdom to navigate complexity, the skill to verify truth, and the courage to use digital spaces responsibly.”
Sagah stressed that it not only strengthens society’s resilience against misinformation but also ensures that the momentum of digital transformation does not come at the cost of local values and cultural identity.
“AI should not replace our heritage; it should be a tool to preserve and elevate our native languages and traditions so they can be passed on to future generations,” he said.
He added that strengthening digital wisdom aligns with the state’s vision under the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy (PCDS) 2030 and the Sarawak Digital Economy Blueprint 2030, which aim to build a knowledge-driven, data-centric, and innovative society by the end of the decade.
The SGMILD 2025 gathered more than 3,000 participants both physically and virtually, including librarians, educators, civil society leaders, policymakers, and youth representatives.
