Kota Kinabalu: Umno Youth Sabah has lodged a police report regarding a viral video making references to baseless allegations about caretaker Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman.It is believed to be the first case in Sabah of anyone being investigated for creating or distributing fake news under the recently gazetted Anti-Fake News Act 2018.Its Assistant Secretary Mohd Bahrin Karim said the heavily edited video, which was made to look as if it was an original the Star Online news, showed how desperate the opposition was.
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"This is the sort of dirty tactic that the opposition resorts to. Of course once it goes viral, their keyboard warriors will go to town to spin the story," he said, when lodging the report at IPD Kota Kinabalu, here, Tuesday.Bahrin said the video is an excellent example of how fake news is used in an attempt to dupe people into thinking that its contents including visuals, interviews and voice overs all come from a single credible source.
"Fake news should be prevented early and we are lodging this police report so that the matter can be investigated under the Anti-Fake News Act 2018," he said.The video, which is about 1.30 minutes long, shows former Sabah Credit Corporation (SCC) General Manager Datuk George Ginibun talking about alleged issues of corruption in the State, including the Sabah Watergate Scandal and 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) case.
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It used clips of the Star TV and the Star Online from 2016, to convince the public that the newspaper is supportive of whatever Ginibun says in the background. The Star has issued a strongly worded statement that it takes serious exception to any unauthorised use of the Star TV and The Star Online logo and video clips to create an association with the Star for whatever reason and that it would be taking legal action against the person concerned.
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"The Star states that it did not produce the said video in any manner and has no association with it," adding that the decision to take action was after consulting its lawyers.
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The video also shows clips of Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan) President Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal getting remanded by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).Under the Act that was gazetted on April 11, anyone who maliciously creates, offers, publishes, prints, distributes or disseminates fake news are punishable by a fine not exceeding RM500,000 or imprisonment of six years, or both. - Jegathisan Sivanesan
