Police report made on spread of fake rabies notices via social media platforms

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Ismail Mahedin (left) from the JPBN secretariat, and Jostan Ringin from JPBN Serian, at the Tebedu police station in Serian to lodge the report.

KUCHING: The secretariat of the State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) wants the authorities to take action against netizens who create fake notices on rabies-infected areas.

A JPBN officer, who lodged a police report at Tebedu police station in Serian at 2.15pm yesterday, said police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) must put a stop to the dissemination of fake information as it causes public alarm and makes a mockery of JPBN’s official notices and press statements.

The fake notices, which claim that there are several more areas infected with rabies other than the ones declared officially, have gone viral on various social media platforms – prompting JPBN to act.

The last official JPBN notice on rabies put the number of infected areas at 20, and was issued around 8pm on Sunday.

Of the 20 rabies-infected areas, 16 are in Serian, two in Tebedu, and one each in Kuching and Sri Aman. The rabies outbreak started at Serian last month and has already claimed the lives of five people.