CYBERJAYA: The Communications and Multimedia Ministry, in collaboration with Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) today launched an information verification portal called sebenarnya.my.
Through this portal, the public can check and report news items which have not been authenticated, either through social media, short messaging services, blogs or websites; so that it can be verified by official channels or relevant government agencies.
Its Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak said the portal is part of the government's efforts to combat the spread of false news which are becoming rampant lately.
"The digital era society of today spends more than three hours to surf internet to obtain news and information.
"However, many fake news have become viral on the social media platform such as Facebook and WhatsApp, and some internet users take it literally and simply share them without verifying.
"This is because they are keen to be the first one to share the information. Thus, we decided to come out with this, sebenarnya.my portal, a one stop centre for the public to check the authenticity of the news or information," he said after launching the portal at MCMC, here, today.
He said false news can jeopardise the national harmony and security as it can sabotage the economy and create chaos among society.
"Some may see this as a small matter, but actually fake news have a big impact. For instance, an internet user spread news that a popular figure had passed away, whereas it is a hoax. When this information goes viral, it may cause panic among the family members or close friends of the victim.
"This is just one of the many examples of the impacts of hoax. We want the members of the public to be smart and wise internet users before they spread any information," he said.
Salleh added that the move is also part of the enforcement and awareness activities undertaken by MCMC to prevent the spread of false news.