GEORGE TOWN: The federal government needs to arrest the spread of misinformation over social media about the novel coronavirus outbreak in China, by ensuring that only the right information is channelled effectively. The daily updates provided by the Health Ministry needs to be viralled effectively and its contents presented in a way that is trustworthy and educational to the public, former Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi said.
Ooi, who was a pioneering micro-blogger before joining politics full time, said that the daily updates by the health authorities also needs to be beamed across all spectrums of society to avoid panic.
“As it is a public contagion issue, we must ensure that the accurate information is disseminated in an age where certain quarters take pride in misleading and cheating the online audience,” he told theSun here.
As of 3pm today, it was reported that the number of deaths from coronavirus had risen to 80, with infections climbing above 2,700 globally.
Over the same period, Malaysia has reported four confirmed cases where 95% of deaths and more than 50% of infections are in the Hubei province where Wuhan city – the epicentre of the outbreak is located in China.
Ooi said that more efforts must be done to ensure that the daily updates by the ministry reaches majority of the concerned population and that the updates should also be conducted in a media briefing in which experts can address concerns raised by the people.
“We must work collectively to stamp out fake news accounts as it can lead to inaccurate perceptions. Wellness is an important topic for all.”
He also touched on only allowing the federal government to speak on the matter and noted that some state officials needed to refrain from interjecting with their comments as it can lead to confusion rather than clarity.
Ooi said that accurate information was pressing because there was a need to prevent panic buying of face masks while at the same time, hand sanitizers are considered equally important in preventing the spread of the viral bug.
Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Steven Sim Chee Keong urged Malaysians to refer to the official media postings on the matter instead of third hand messages which are forwarded through social media.
Sim said that social media users should also verify dramatic news accounts before forwarding it, especially since Malaysia is a top landing spot for China nationals who come here to study, work, invest and vacation.
Their remarks come in a wake of a viral account that two China nationals were admitted at the Seberang Jaya Hospital here for the deadly virus.
State executive councillor Dr Afif Bahardin, who is in charge of health, has released a statement, saying that as of 3pm today, there is no novel coronavirus infections in Penang.
He urged people to refrain from spreading fake accounts, and to trust the public health authorities, who are working around the clock to fight the spread of the disease.
