KUCHING, June 14: Making misleading claims is equivalent to spreading fake news, says Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Jemut Masing.
He was responding to a statement by an opposition party’s potential election candidate alleging that Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg’s work visit to Kapit on June 10 which included officiating at the launch of a food basket distribution initiative, was against standard operating procedures (SOPs) under the current Movement Control Order (MCO).
Making his remarks as an invited guest who attended the event, Masing said this was not at all true.
“This was far from the truth. It’s against the law, it’s equivalent to spreading fake news, and I hope relevant authorities will take them to task and throw the book at them,” he said in a statement today.
Masing, who is also the Infrastructure and Port Development Minister politicians not to mislead the public by spreading false news during such dire times during a pandemic to score political points for themselves.
On June 11, Parti Sarawak Bersatu’s potential candidate for Pelagus Kristoffer Nyuak released a statement saying the event held at the Kapit Town Square must have drawn big crowds and would have endangered the public when most of the general public are not vaccinated yet.
He also called upon the Ministry of Health (MOH) to perform mandatory Covid-19 swab tests on all attendees and avoid double standards as the people’s lives are at stake.
Following that, the State Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) released a statement on the same day to explain that the Chief Minister’s visit to Kapit especially the launch event had full SOP compliance with only a limited number of guests invited.
The committee also stressed that the ceremony was an event approved by SDMC and that no members of the public were involved while other SOPs were strictly observed in the presence of MOH officers and enforcement personnel. — DayakDaily
