PADAWAN: Police have urged the public to refrain from making unfounded speculations in response to a viral social media post depicting an incident in which a man was confronted by members of the public armed with various objects.
The police issued the reminder after discovering a post on the Sarawak Viral News’ Facebook page around 9pm on yesterday (Oct 4).
The post also carried a caption that raised questions about the legal implications of brandishing a firearm or broken shotgun with the intent to intimidate, which read, “Mengacu senjata api @ senapang patah dengan tujuan menakut-nakutkan boleh tak disabit kesalahan jenayah? Siapa tahu? Tolong jawap lok,” which translates to “Can pointing a firearm @ a shotgun with the purpose of intimidating be convicted of a crime? Who knows? Please answer.”
Padawan OCPD Supt Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad confirmed that the incident occurred on Aug 25 at Jalan Stephen Yong, Batu Kawa.
“It involved a suspect who had allegedly stolen metal from a local shop. The suspect was apprehended by members of the public, with the assistance of a security guard.
“Both parties involved in this incident have filed police reports, and the completed investigation papers have been forwarded to the deputy public prosecutor’s office.
“The suspect was charged on Sept 1 under Section 379 of the Penal Code and Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958,” he said.
In light of this, Supt Abang Zainal issued a reminder to the public to exercise caution and refrain from engaging in baseless speculation.
He emphasised the importance of waiting for verified information before drawing conclusions, as spreading unverified news can lead to panic and confusion within the community.
