PETALING JAYA, June 18 – Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming has defended the ministry’s decision to appoint 200 “online ambassadors,” addressing concerns about potential overlap with existing government communication channels. Nga explained that the Sentuhan Maya programme, which leverages volunteers from within his ministry, avoids additional costs associated with hiring external key opinion leaders (KOLs), which can be expensive.
“The online ambassadors are enthusiastic volunteers from various departments and agencies within the ministry. Through this initiative, the ministry does not incur any additional costs, while hiring KOLs can cost hundreds of thousands of ringgit,” Nga stated. The initiative aims to promote the ministry’s services through social media and build capacity among civil servants in digital communication, ensuring clear messaging about programmes like MyKiosk 2.0 and the Teduh system.
Despite criticisms from figures such as Puad Zarkashi and former minister Zuraida Kamaruddin, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil expressed openness to the initiative, indicating plans to review and coordinate the programme with Nga.
