With the government announcing an extension to the Movement Control Order (MCO), we're going to be stuck at home till 14 April 2020. During this time, it's important that we not fall for fake news that are created to mislead us. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has been working on keeping track on the fake news so we'll know what to look out for.
There are two broad categories of fake news that are rampant these days. The first group are the ones regarding the COVID-19 coronavirus, while the other is about the situation of the MCO in Malaysia. You will mostly see fake news of supposed 'cures' for the virus or that the police are levying fines to people who are caught outside during the MCO. Regardless, this type of news tend to be misleading and it's dangerous to spread them without verifying whether they are true.
The goal of the media at large and MCMC is to debunk the fake news and keep you well informed. After all, fake news can often be more dangerous than having no news. So with that in mind, below is a list of 7 fake news that MCMC has confirmed within the last week or so.
Confirmed fake news in recent days:
- Police giving fines of RM200 to people who are not wearing a mask outside
- Police giving fines of RM300 if more than one person go out together
- 4 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have escaped from Hospital Kepala Batas in Penang
- Allegations that Dungun Hospital was closed and all its staff were quarantined
- Claims of there being 4 COVID-19 hot zones in Selangor
- Claims that Malaysia will declare a state of emergency
- Claims that symptoms of COVID-19 infection include loss of appetite and sense of smell
There are more from that have been debunked before and we can expect to see more fake news in the coming days. You can find out more on MCMC's Sebenarnya website. Let's all do our part by always verifying news first before spreading it! For more news, stay tuned to TechNave.com.
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