By: Mohd Khairy Abdullah @ DG Henry
SOOK (Sabah, Malaysia), August 30, 2025 – On the eve of Malaysia’s 62nd Independence anniversary, the nation has been shaken by the circulation of a 1-minute-26-second TikTok video produced using artificial intelligence (AI). The video not only insults the Kadazan, Dusun, and Murut (KDM) ethnic communities but also distorts the historical narrative of the Keningau Oath Stone – a sacred monument that since 1963 has symbolised Sabah’s political contract with the Malaysian Federation.
The desecration of the Oath Stone is far from a trivial digital provocation. It strikes at the very foundation of the social contract that created Malaysia. The Oath Stone embodies the promises of land rights, religion, and customs granted to the people of Sabah as conditions for joining Malaysia. Any attempt to belittle or rewrite this history is therefore not merely cultural provocation but a direct denial of Malaysia’s founding agreement.
Sabah, home to more than 40 ethnic and sub-ethnic groups, lives within a fragile balance of identity politics. Historical wounds from the controversial “Project IC” in the 1980s continue to undermine Sabahans’ trust in the federal government. Now, this digital insult against the KDM community has reopened old scars, reigniting debates on loyalty, autonomy, and national integration.
Political analysts warn that the spread of such a video in Malaysia’s post-GE15 landscape could trigger wider instability. “This is not just about Sabah. This is about how far Malaysia can control a digital narrative that has the potential to tear apart its social fabric,” noted one political observer.
The fact that the video was generated by AI proves that Malaysia has entered a new phase of information warfare. Deepfakes are no longer theoretical experiments but psychological weapons capable of manipulating ethnic and religious sentiments.
International think tanks such as the Brookings Institution and Oxford Internet Institute have long warned: AI is becoming the primary instrument of 21st-century information warfare. Across Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Myanmar have already witnessed the destructive power of manipulative videos, fuelling ethnic violence, religious unrest, and crises of governance. Malaysia, as a federal and plural society, is even more vulnerable because its balance is uniquely complex.
There are now growing calls for the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to investigate and punish those behind the video. Some have even suggested the harshest possible measures – including revocation of citizenship – should the perpetrators be proven to have acted as traitors to the nation.
The controversy also revives the debate over citizenship vetting, a sensitive issue in Sabah. For many Sabahans, past failures of citizenship policy – including the mass granting of identity cards to foreign migrants – remain the root cause of identity fractures and distrust towards Kuala Lumpur.
For Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, this incident is a critical test of integrity for his Malaysia Madani vision, which emphasises harmony and inclusivity. If the government is perceived as too soft, it risks being seen as failing to defend Sabah’s dignity; if it acts too harshly, it risks accusations of stifling free speech.
From a global perspective, Malaysia’s dilemma is not unique. Multicultural states across Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia are grappling with identity politics manipulated by digital technology. The pressing question is: can democracy withstand the deepfake era?
The AI-generated video insulting Sabah’s ethnic groups and the Oath Stone is not merely online provocation. It is a geopolitical warning that Malaysia is being tested – in its unity, historical sovereignty, and digital security.
The world is watching: will Kuala Lumpur choose the path of firmness anchored in justice, or weakness that opens the door to far more dangerous manipulation in the future?
