'Lack of science knowledge makes people more likely to fall for fake news'

 

INTERVIEW | In today’s world, conspiracy theories and fake news abound, running the gamut from vaccines and miracle cures to faked moon landings and flat earth theorists.

According to Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang, a lack of basic knowledge of scientific principles makes it all the more likely that some people will place their faith in entirely implausible fake news.

“To be very frank, it didn’t surprise me when so many people started spreading and believing fake news during the pandemic. I think it is normal in the Malaysian context because not many people really are interested in science and technology.

“So that’s why they are so easily influenced by fake news.

“I think science and technology knowledge is very important, not only to build our economy but also very important to the societal progress of our country. Everything has to be science-based so that our people won’t be easily influenced by fake news and misleading data and research from questionable news sources.

“Otherwise, it’d be very problematic for our country,” Chang told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview.

He suggested that the key step to tackling this issue would be education that would instil knowledge and awareness of science from a young age.

“Because of the nature of our politics, we often end up with short-sighted goals, and every five years we have an election, and you have a new politician leading the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry. They will always go for low-hanging fruit instead of long-term policy,” Chang said.

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang

He added that while science and technology have always been critical to the nation’s development, it would not be fair to compare eras and ministers because every minister faces different challenges and contexts.

“But I think a good science and technology minister has to treat all sectors fairly and have an interest in science. If you don’t have interest, then how can you help our development?

“Technology is a very important field and I’m also interested in methodology because it really helped us in upgrading our agriculture. This is very important for food security so that we are in control of our own supply,” he said.

Balancing different agencies

Chang added that his ministry oversees many different agencies, including the Atomic Energy Licensing Board, the Department of Chemistry, the Malaysian Space Agency and the National Institute of Biotechnology, to name but a few.

“I think it’s also very important for us to commercialise science and technology. We may have hundreds of intellectual property patents but, most of the time, people don’t see a good product or technology coming out of it.

“I hope we can help our domestic tech companies. We should start with the government because we need many tech-related services. Due to a lack of economies of scale, local tech companies need assistance to flourish and shine.

“So we should come up with something. When a government adopts local technology, it means the government has confidence in our product, our technology,” Chang said.

The minister added that regional cooperation on science and technology was very important in order to overcome the region’s lag compared to global leaders such as the US, Europe or China.

“Science, technology and innovation are basically quite borderless and we are working very well with all the Asean countries and we have regional collaborations like the Asean Committee on Science Technology and Innovation.

“We have signed MOUs with many countries in terms of understanding and sharing technology and even student exchange programmes,” he said.

One of the hot issues that is part of his portfolio is that of the Lynas plant in Pahang, in particular the cracking and leaching facilities.

In the wake of emotional reactions on both sides of the debate, Chang stressed that the Lynas decision was one of collective responsibility.

“Every decision made in the cabinet, we have to abide by, and the ministry is not putting in new conditions. Those are all conditions imposed in 2020,” he said.

Last week, he confirmed that his ministry is currently reviewing an appeal made by Lynas against the condition that it stops the cracking and leaching facility of its plant in Gebeng, Kuantan, adding that the Atomic Energy Licensing Act 1984, also known as Act 304, stipulates that Lynas has the right to appeal within 30 days of receiving the notice.

However, Chang reiterated that the Atomic Energy Licensing Board agreed to renew Lynas’ operating licence under specific conditions, one of which is to relocate the cracking and leaching facility - which produces radioactive water leach purification residue - out of Malaysia before July 2023. - Mkini