Be mindful of sharing unverified news on national budget, netizens reminded

KUCHING: Netizens should not simply believe unverified news about the just-tabled national budget going viral on social media.

Santubong MP Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar points out that the people must be careful regarding this matter.

The parliamentarian was referring to a viral e- poster showing the distribution the 2019 national budget, where Peninsular Malaysia gets an overall RM271 billion and based on equal breakdown for 10 states in the peninsula, each would get RM27.1 billion.

In comparison, the e-poster also shows the budget distribution for Sarawak and Sabah at only RM4 billion and RM5 billion, respectively.

“People need to be careful with matters going viral on social media.

“Seek confirmation. The figures could not be correct – because (the) RM271 billion is to include ‘ the administration expenditure of the federal government’.

“How could it be divided into equal parts? It (e-poster) may be just (something that) someone plucked out from the table on social media and (made it) viral.

One needs to verify these figures before they could be made as the basis of any comment,” said Wan Junaidi, who is a member of Sarawak’s ruling coalition, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).

When contacted, Works Minister Baru Bian said he was not amused by the situation.

The Selangau MP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat ( PKR) Sarawak chairman regarded the figures on the e-poster as ‘not logical’.

“Dividing the figures equally, at RM27.1 billion, for each of the Peninsular Malaysian states is not logical,” he added.

The e-poster in question, which has gone viral on social media.

Ting (centre) hands over the champion prize to a representative of Maybank Malaysia Bhd for winning the best decorated stall competition during the open house sale.