MIRI – The identity of the person or group that had written about and disseminated false news on Sarawak governor Tun Taib Mahmud being seriously ill remains a mystery to date.
Two weeks had passed since the news went viral, with a probe carried out by state authorities, yet no clues have been found.
The identity of the entity who had “created” the story remains unknown despite efforts to trace the source, TV Sarawak quoted the state’s public communications unit director Samuel Simon as saying.
On June 23, claims that Taib was in grave condition went viral in Sarawak and, subsequently, nationwide.
Later that day, Astana Sarawak, the state governor’s office, lodged a police report over the false claims.
The police report was lodged by Taib’s press secretary Peter Sibon at the Kg Gita police station.
Taib’s private secretary, Junih Salleh Ahmad, had earlier said that “any viral and unverified news” on the former chief minister’s health that “did not come from Astana Sarawak is fake and untrue”.
Taib held the chief minister post for over three decades, from 1981 to 2014.
His tenure has made him the longest-serving head of government of a Malaysian state.
Additionally, he served the Kota Samarahan constituency for 38 years from 1970 to 2008, making him the nation’s second longest-serving MP. – The Vibes, July 3, 2023
