KUCHING: Amidst public worry about the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus across world, the Internet (especially social media) and various forms of telecommunication are awash with fake news and messages related to the crisis.
This, of course, has triggered public panic in the country.
A 33-year-old worker at Plaza Merdeka, who identified himself as just Habibuddin, said he had been receiving such information on WhatsApp and Facebook post feed.
“Some are screenshots of Facebook posts and blog articles,” he said.
Another respondent, who declined to say her name, said she was aware of the virus outbreak when she received information in her WhatsApp group.
“People forwarded the information to my friend and we shared it in our group,” she said.
Asked on whether she verified the information, she said the information must be right since many people had been circulating it on Facebook.
For Hananie, a nurse, the public ought to be made awareness of the need to verify information, and they should know how to do it.
“I have been receiving a lot of messages from friends and family members, asking about the Wuhan virus.
“I think everyone must get information from official sources rather than relying on unreliable sources on social media,” she said.
Yesterday, Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas, who chairs the State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN), also urged the public to gain information from trusted and reliable sources. He also said people must be responsible when using social media.
“Spreading fake news is very irresponsible as it could cause confusion and harm the public,” he said a during a press conference after a meeting of the committee at Wisma Bapa Malaysia here yesterday.
In Sarawak, there was fake news about a coronavirus patient who had been admitted to Timberland Medical Centre in Bintulu.
Spreaders of fake news can be charged under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and Section 505 of the Penal Code.
