AI influence operation targeting voters a threat to Malaysia, says MCA

PETALING JAYA – The alleged operation of about 1,000 fake X accounts and a fabricated news outlet to influence is a threat to Malaysia’s electoral integrity, said MCA Youth Information chief and Barisan Nasional communications director Neow Choo Seong.Urging the Government to take immediate action, Neow said the alleged AI-powered influence raises concerns over security ahead of the 16th General Election.“This is not a peripheral online issue. It represents a direct threat to Malaysia’s electoral integrity,” he said in a statement on Sept 11).“Artificial intelligence now enables the mass fabrication of identities, narratives and manufactured public sentiment at a scale previously unattainable.“With the 16th General Election approaching, several questions demand answers.“What measures has the Government implemented to detect coordinated foreign or commercial influence operations targeting Malaysian voters, and who is behind it?“Why was this operation identified by a private technology company rather than by our own authorities?“And what assurance can be given that no similar operations are currently active and undetected?”Neow said the Government could not continue responding only after such operations were exposed by external parties.He said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil should provide Malaysians with a clear account of the country’s preparedness against such threats.Neow called for three immediate measures, beginning with a joint investigation by MCMC, CyberSecurity Malaysia and the police to identify the domestic or foreign backers of the alleged network and pursue accountability under the law, without fear or favour.He also called for comprehensive legislation and enforcement mechanisms to address the misuse of generative AI for deepfakes, astroturfing and coordinated disinformation.“The Government must explain to the public the existing safeguards and countermeasures against state-sponsored and commercial manipulation of the electoral process,” he said.Neow said the Government had repeatedly pledged to protect Malaysians from cybersecurity threats.He said Malaysians’ democratic choices must remain the exclusive right of the rakyat, while the country’s digital ecosystem and electoral process must be free from foreign interference and algorithmic manipulation.“The nation cannot afford to discover, after the fact, that its electorate was manipulated while under the Government’s watch,” he said.A day earlier on Sept 10, US-based AI company Anthropic reported that it had disrupted an alleged commercial influence operation targeting Malaysia.The company said the operation involved about 1,000 fake X accounts, a fabricated news outlet called Malaysia Pulse and fabricated dossiers, with the activity linked to an Istanbul-based technology company that allegedly offered paid “influence-as-a-service” capabilities.Anthropic did not identify the customer or person who allegedly paid for the operation, while the Turkish company has denied involvement.MCMC subsequently said it was reviewing the report and seeking clarification from relevant parties, while denying any involvement in the activities described. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK