KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 17 — Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh today hit out at Teresa Kok and told the Seputeh MP to sue ChatGPT after she blamed the AI tool and sensationalised media reports over her controversial remark on the halal certification issue.

In a posting on Facebook, Akmal, who referred to Kok as “Nyonya” said: “Earlier, she blamed me. Now it seems that it’s ChatGPT’s fault.

“Please sue ChatGPT too, I think they can’t wait to fight it out in court.

“This ‘Nyonya’ is really funny,” he wrote.

Yesterday, Malay Mail reported that Kok had issued a clarification, saying that a mistranslation by ChatGPT led to confusion over her recent remarks on halal certification, resulting in a misunderstanding that was picked up by media outlets.

Kok said that when she was questioned by the police, she had explained that her original statement issued in Mandarin had been translated into Malay by a colleague using ChatGPT due to time constraints, according to a report published in Malay news portal Mingguan Malaysia.

“My colleague, who is fluent in Mandarin, usually handles translations, but since they were rushing for an overseas assignment, they used ChatGPT for speed. Unfortunately, some words were mistranslated, and we didn’t double-check the text,” Kok said.

The mistranslation led to a media frenzy, particularly surrounding the use of the word “memalukan” (to embarrass).

She clarified that her original intention was to highlight that the enforcement of halal certification on restaurant operators might provoke negative reactions both locally and internationally, rather than “embarrass” the country as reported.

The police questioned Kok for two hours on September 10 following her remarks on halal certification, which she explained were not aimed at opposing the certification process but at reviewing it to ensure it runs smoothly.

Her statement came after a proposal by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, suggesting that all food establishments that do not serve pork or alcohol be required to obtain halal certification.

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2024/09/17/sue-chatgpt-too-umnos-akmal-challenges-teresa-kok-over-halal-cert-remarks/150687