‘MCA to decide if action needed over rise in fake news’
SEREMBAN: MCA’s legal bureau will discuss if the party should lodge police reports over the spike in fake political news since Parliament’s dissolution, says Datuk Chong Sin Woon.
The MCA Youth chief said action could be taken under the newly gazetted Anti-Fake News Act to stop the circulation of fake news over social media.
“This is to ensure we have a clean and fair election. There are at least five fake news circulating on WhatsApp and Wechat,” he said.
These messages, he said, were similar to claims of phantom Bangladeshi voters during GE13, which were spread to mislead the public.
Chong said one fake news warned the Chinese community against going to nightclubs prior to polling day as they could be arrested and remanded by police, denying them a chance to vote.
He said there was another purportedly to educate voters over the correct way to mark their ballots.
“The message asked voters to mark a cross from one corner (of the box) to the other end. This is not true. A simple cross is acceptable,” he told reporters.
Other messages shared on WhatsApp groups urged the people to check their voter’s status at Barisan Nasional’s pondok panas (canvassing booths) instead of DAP’s.
“Don’t go to DAP cos BN can estimate their votes and if they think they have lost, they will throw extra votes into the box,” the message read.
Separately in Sembrong, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein urged Felcra and Felda settlers against believing everything shared on social media and chat groups.
“Few parties are misusing it (social media) to spread lies and paint a bad picture of our forefathers and leaders while belittling the progress we have made,” he said to a large crowd at Kampung Melayu Batu 4 in Paloh.
He said Malaysia’s second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and third prime minister Tun Hussein Onn would be disappointed with what was being spread.
Hishammuddin, who is expected to defend his Sembrong seat, said he expected Barisan to retain the Paloh and Kahang state seats, which are within the parliamentary constituency.
“Unlike the Opposition who comes here only during elections, Barisan has always been here for you,” he said.
“Felda and Felcra settlers should continue voting for Barisan as they have before.”
Hishammuddin said the Government always placed great emphasis on the welfare of settlers.
Earlier, Hishammuddin expressed interest in Felcra chief executive Datuk Zulkarnain Md Eusope’s proposal to set up a national food storage warehouse that could be used to distribute food quickly during natural disasters.
He added that the plan was in the proposal stage and more details would be revealed after GE14.
Johor has a total of 73 Felda settlements. The Felda vote bank is the deciding factor in 15 parliamentary seats.