Why You Shouldn't Share This 'Security Alert Of ISIS Targets In KL' List
The "alert" lists out 9 places for the public to avoid.
By Sadho Ram — 09 Jul 2016, 01:24 PM
A week after IGP Khalid confirmed that Islamic State militants were involved in the attack at Movida in Puchong on 28 June, a "security alert of ISIS targets in KL" list started circulating on social media
It claimed that the Malaysian government has confirmed that ISIS will mount an attack on the places in the list, and urged people to avoid some of the busy areas of KL and Petaling Jaya, such as Bukit Bintang, Midvalley Megamall, The Curve and LRT stations.
In fact, it went viral across Facebook and Twitter, prompting Malaysians on the web to tag their friends and family members
Well, first things first, the list is NOT from the government
While it claimed that Malaysia is the "next target for bombing according to special branch", referring to the police intelligence unit, the truth is that the Malaysian police did not issue any such warnings. IGP Khalid took to his Twitter account to dismiss it.
This alert is not from @PDRMsia pic.twitter.com/6nuBpxuuqN
— Khalid Abu Bakar (@KBAB51) July 8, 2016
Secondly, the nature of social media is such that posts like the one above, which are almost always not true, only creates confusion in the minds of the unsuspecting public. While the intention behind such posts may be good, sharing them among your circle may actually create a law and order situation where there was none.
In short, whenever it comes to sharing unverified information on social media that is likely to create unrest or confusion among the people, it's wise to practice constraint.
Meanwhile, IGP Khalid has confirmed that PM Najib Razak and his Cabinet Ministers are targets of the Islamic terror group:
This story is the personal opinion of the writer.
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