KUCHING: Social media, when used for the wrong reason, could cause alarm and panic as proven in the case of a false report of an abduction case here on Sunday.
A 20-year-old woman, who lodged a false report about the abduction of her sister and niece, is likely to be charged as a deterrent and a warning to the public against making false reports, said Sarawak Deputy Commissioner of Police, Datuk Dev Kumar M M Sree (pic).
When contacted by New Sarawak Tribune, Dev Kumar said making a false report not only alarmed the public in this case but also wasted a lot of police time in investigation. It could also harm innocent parties concerned.
A person making a false report can be charged under Section 182 of the Penal Code which reads,”… to cause a public servant to use his lawful power to the injury of another person and if convicted, the offender can be punished with jail that may extend to 6 months or fine of RM2,000 or both.”
On Sunday, the woman lodged a police report that her sister and niece were abducted by masked men at Jalan FAC Matang in a white van and her report and her statement went viral. The police found the two girls safe in a friend’s house on Sunday night; they were brought to Kampung Gita to record their statements.
Dev Kumar expressed his disappointment that the viral message had caused a lot of panic among the public who unknowingly passed on the fake message. Some people posted it on social media, warning other netizens of a white van.
He said it was dangerous to make false reports because some people might take things into their own hands by causing injuries to the unfortunate van owner.
Dev Kumar said the woman,who lodged the report, had been pulled in for the recording of her statement. He added police would decide on the next course of action after the investigation.
