‘Name dropping’ can cause panic among people – MCMC

KUALA LUMPUR: The ‘name dropping’ tactic used on social media, that is of claiming to have gotten information from influential sources, can cause panic among the community, according to Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chief regulatory officer Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, for example, he said there were many cases of unauthentic information shared by netizens, allegedly issued by important figures.

This includes using the name of Health director-general Tan Sri Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah to make fake statements, such as regarding the Family Movement Control Order (PKPK).

“This culture is more about manipulating the mind as well as twisting facts so as to arouse anger and cause panic among the people. This culture can also undermine the credibility of the individuals quoted,” he told Bernama after appearing as a guest on the ‘Temu Bual Radio’ programme aired on Bernama Radio here yesterday.

Zulkarnain, who was invited to discuss the topic ‘Cultivating the Prudent Use of Social Media’, said that the irresponsible party may also be looking to be first to ‘break the news’ in order to increase the number of followers on their social media accounts, but it was not the right way to do so.

However, Zulkarnain said people had many ways to confirm information obtained on social media, especially those related to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“People need to increase their digital literacy capabilities on something negative, especially with regard to fake news. Cultivate the (habits of) checking before sharing and referring to authentic sources, ”said Zulkarnain.