The police have denied allegations of a racial incident in Kedah after claims of an inter-racial fight broke out went viral on Facebook recently.
In a statement, Kuala Muda district police chief Zaidy Che Hassan said it was fake news that had been spread by irresponsible parties to cause uneasiness and angst among the local community.
Zaidy said the Facebook posting had falsely claimed that the incident that took place in Sungai Petani, Kedah had taken place between people of two different ethnic groups in the district.
“The police deny that such an incident had occurred in Sungai Petani. We urge the public to immediately stop the spread of fake news because it can undermine the sentiments of the community,” he said.
“Stop making speculations,” he said.
At the same time, he also urged any individual with information to contact the investigating officer of Kuala Muda CID at 04 – 429 9222.
He said the case is being investigated under Section 504 of the Penal Code, which provides for a prison sentence of up to two years, a fine, or both.
In addition, the investigation is also being carried out under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which, if found guilty, can be fined no more than RM50,000 or jailed no more than two years or both.
What actually happened?
Last Thursday (4 August), a security guard was stabbed by a man at a housing project site in Bukit Banyan last Thursday.
Unfortunately, 58-year-old Ismail Ahmad, the security guard, succumbed to his injuries and passed away on Sunday (7 August) while being treated at Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital.
Zaidy said the 2 suspects, aged 41 and 37, were detained after they received a report that a security guard was assaulted by 3 assailants wielding machetes for scolding 1 of the assailants for riding motorcycles dangerously at a construction site.
He added that the 37-year-old suspect, had a criminal record of drug abuse and armed robbery.
The incident has led to speculation and fake news being spread on social media where a viral post on the “Ayahanda-Ayahanda Sungai Petani” Facebook page created panic among the local community in Sungai Petani.
Here’s some advice for you to not believe everything you see online and check if the information that you are going to share is accurate.
What do you think about this? Share your thoughts!
