KUCHING: A 24-second video of a worker using the same mop to sweep the tables and the floor in the presence of two customers has gone viral on the social media.
The video was said to be taken at the MBKS Stutong Market but many social media users think that it was not shot there.
Mohammad Rezza, 27, said: “This fake video could be an attempt by someone to spoil the image of the Stutong market.
“Thus, it is only reasonable for the Kuching South City Hawkers and Traders Association chairman Tan Choon Yong, on behalf of Stutong Community Market, to lodge a police report over the matter.
“The Internet is useful for us to share information globally but it can also be used as a channel to spread rumours and false information.
“People can abuse the Internet to spread fake news. By clicking the “share” button, everything can be spread easily including false accusations,” he said.
“I hope the Internet users will use the technology wisely to avoid defamation,” he added.
Elisabeth Kasie, 25, who lives near the market and visits it frequently said, “Because I am very familiar with the market, I knew right away that the place in the video was not the Stutong market.
“People should stop spreading fake news. They should not share news if they are unsure about its authenticity.
“For me, sharing false information is a very bad thing, especially when the information has the tendency to go viral. Most people tend to believe what they see or read.
“In this case, the video has damaged the image of the Stutong Market,” she pointed out.
Asked whether she believed everything on the Internet, she replied, “It depends. Sometimes the information just seems to fall into place. People should, however, be careful about sharing unclear information.”
Commenting on the video, Mohd Shahmil Mohd Chua, 25, said,“It was definitely fake considering that the place in the video does not resemble the Stutong Market. The person responsible for uploading the video should have thought twice before claiming that it happened there.”
He continued: “Using the social media as a platform to spread fake news will eventually bring harm not only to the audience but also to the sender himself.
“However, some people get away with it by using fake accounts in the social media.”
Ilham Abdullah, 25, commented that the Internet was a useful tool if used accordingly and ethically.
“The Internet is like a knife. If the person who handles the knife uses it for negative purposes like robbery and murder, it will lead to negative outcomes. If the person chooses to use it for positive purposes like cooking and planting, it will lead to positive outcomes,” he said.
“To avoid spreading fake news, we must practise critical and analytical thinking. Even the Quran advises us to confirm the validity of a news before spreading it.”
Haziq Azhar, 27, also advised members of the public to check whether a video was true or fake before sharing it.
“I think the government should be stricter on information-sharing by strengthening the implementation of laws,” he said.
Meanwhile, Syafina Yajik, 27, called upon the relevant authorities like Malaysian Communications And Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to monitor the information-sharing closely and regularly.
“This needs the cooperation of all social media users,” she said.
Lily Johny, 60, said she first learned of the fake news about the Stutong Market from Facebook.
“Everyone was sharing the post, claiming that it happened at the market. I actually believed the information and got angry after watching it,” she said.
“To be honest, the video almost made me want to stop going to the market to buy goods,” Lily told New Sarawak Tribune yesterday.
“I know that we cannot trust everything on the Internet but I thought the person recording the video has no other intentions apart from exposing the cleaner.
“It never crossed my mind that the individual responsible for downloading the video might be posting it for other reasons such as business rivalry and envy,” she explained.
