KUALA LUMPUR: The Army has dismissed allegations circulating on social media accusing one of its personnel of rape, sexual assault and illicit sexual relations, saying an internal investigation found the claims to be false.
The Army said it viewed the spread of defamatory and unsubstantiated content on social media, warning that such allegations could damage the reputation of its personnel, chain of command and the organisation.
"The allegations, which have been circulating since 2024, were investigated internally and found to contradict the actual circumstances of the case.
"The personnel involved had lodged a police report over the allegations, while officers and personnel concerned had also filed complaints with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for further action," it said in a statement on Wednesday (July 15).
According to the Army, the complainant had not lodged any police report over the alleged criminal offences despite the accusations made on social media.
It also criticised the use of social media as the primary platform for making such allegations, describing the approach as unprofessional and suggesting it appeared intended to tarnish the image of the Army.
The Army said the anonymous social media account that had published the allegations has since been deleted.
"The culture of 'trial by viral' should not be normalised, and warned that it would pursue all available civil and criminal legal avenues to curb the spread of false and defamatory claims.
"We urge anyone with allegations of wrongdoing to report them through the proper legal channels to enable a fair, transparent and lawful investigation," it added.
