WhatsApp admins may face action

Compiled by FATIMAH ZAINAL , CRYSTAL CHIAM SHIYING and R. ARAVINTHAN

WHATSAPP group administrators stand to face legal action if they fail to curb the spread of fake news among their chat group members.

In a Berita Harian exclusive report, Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Jailani Johari said laws under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 could be used against such admins.

The Act could be used against those accused of spreading fake news, slander, inciting sedition, lying, and exposing information under the Official Secrets Act.

“The admin could be called to assist in investigations, and whether or not action is taken against the individual depends on the facts and statement of each case,” he said.

“It doesn’t matter whether it’s fake news, incorrect information or slanderous statements – the admin is responsible for the members,” he said.

Jailani added that admins would face legal action if it was proven that they were directly involved in spreading false information on purpose.

He said WhatsApp group admins need to be more responsible in controlling their members so false news is not spread. He also said admins should be gatekeepers and filter out false news before sharing anything.

 

> Behind his happy clown face lies a sad tale.

Harian Metro reported that Muhammad Shukri Hakim Ramli, 27, decided to work as a clown to support his family of six after his father fell ill.

He used to work as an entertainer at a theme park in Selangor before moving back with his family to their village in Kota Rembau, Negri Sembilan.

His father, who was a taxi driver, had to stop working after his health worsened.

“My mother and I had to support the family. But the situation got worse when our income was not enough to support our lives in Kuala Lumpur, so we had to move back to the village.

“I didn’t know what work to do in the village, so I decided to be a clown as I knew how to do fire tricks and shape balloons,” he said.

Using the name Chukky De Clown, he has been booked for weddings and parties in Pahang, Johor, Selangor and Malacca.

“Praise be to God, my income as a clown is enough to support my family,” he said.

 

> Popular actor Nazim Othman (pic) is nervous about reactions from his fans about his newly-released song, Kerana Cinta.

Utusan Malaysia reported that the Lara Aishah actor could not help being nervous despite receiving positive vibes from fans.

 

“I don’t want to be too comfortable. In fact, I want to be careful and correct my weaknesses,” he said. The former flight attendant said it was the happiest thing for him to listen to his song on the radio.

Previously, he had released a few songs but the response was not encouraging.

“My first song, Begitukah Cinta, did not have the impact that I needed to launch a singing career. But I didn’t give up,” he said.

Nazim joined reality singing contest Gempak Superstar in 2016 and was offered a recording contract by Raksasa Records.

• Found in translation is compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.