Miri police, NSJA join forces to curb online misinformation
MIRI (June 25): The Northern Sarawak Journalists Association (NSJA) paid a courtesy call on the new Miri police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah at his office at the Miri District Police Headquarters (IPD Miri) here today.
NSJA president Chai Chon Chin said the visit aimed to strengthen ties between journalists in northern Sarawak and the Miri police, while also discussing the importance of timely and accurate information sharing.
'Media practitioners rely on verified and up-to-date information from the police, especially when reporting on matters of public safety and crime. This engagement helps ensure effective communication with the community,' he said.
Mohd Farhan welcomed the visit and acknowledged the media's vital role in delivering truthful and reliable information to the public.
He emphasised the growing importance of police-media collaboration in the era of social media, where misinformation spreads rapidly.
'It is crucial for the police to work closely with the media so that, in the event of an incident, accurate information can be quickly disseminated to the public. This helps prevent confusion and curbs the spread of false information,' he said.
Mohd Farhan, who took over from ACP Alexson Naga Chabu following his transfer to IPD Kuching in April, also shared key focus areas under his leadership, particularly the rising number of scam cases in the district.
He noted that scam cases remain a top concern, as his office continues to receive numerous complaints involving various fraudulent tactics used by syndicates to deceive victims.
'In Miri, the Chinese community appears to be the most frequently targeted group in online scams,' he revealed.
In view of this, Mohd Farhan said the police would step up public outreach and engagement efforts to raise awareness of the methods commonly used by these syndicates.
'The media also plays a key role in raising awareness through accurate and responsible reporting on scams and their modus operandi,' he added.
Mohd Farhan further emphasised the importance of public cooperation in tackling crime, citing a recent armed robbery case in which public information led to the arrest of suspects, comprising both local and foreign nationals.
'The police greatly welcome and rely on assistance from members of the public to provide any information that can help prevent or solve criminal activities in Miri.'
Also present during the courtesy call was IPD Miri head of Management Division ASP Ahmad Fauzi ASP Ahmad Fauzi Sabri.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Chinese national student dies in Sepang dorm
SEPANG: A 20-year-old male Chinese national studying at a private university in Sepang was found dead in his dormitory room this morning. Sepang district police chief Assistant Commissioner Norhizam Bahaman said they received a distress call at around 6.20am, reporting that the student had experienced shortness of breath and subsequently lost consciousness. "Initial investigations found no criminal elements or foul play involved in the incident," he said in a statement. The deceased was taken to the forensic unit of Serdang Hospital for a post-mortem, which was conducted at approximately 3pm the same day. "Results of the post-mortem determined the cause of death to be pulmonary thromboembolism due to right deep vein thrombosis," Norhizam said. The case has been classified as sudden death (SDR). Police extended their condolences to the family of the deceased and urged the public not to speculate on the case. Kw
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Chinese national student found dead in Sepang dorm
SEPANG: A 20-year-old male Chinese national studying at a private university in Sepang was found dead in his dormitory room this morning. Sepang district police chief Assistant Commissioner Norhizam Bahaman said they received a distress call at around 6.20am, reporting that the student had experienced shortness of breath and subsequently lost consciousness. "Initial investigations found no criminal elements or foul play involved in the incident," he said in a statement. The deceased was taken to the forensic unit of Serdang Hospital for a post-mortem, which was conducted at approximately 3pm the same day. "Results of the post-mortem determined the cause of death to be pulmonary thromboembolism due to right deep vein thrombosis," Norhizam said. The case has been classified as sudden death (SDR). Police extended their condolences to the family of the deceased and urged the public not to speculate on the case.
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Ex-Hong Kong social worker given community service for defrauding authorities
A retired Hong Kong social worker behind a dropped legal challenge arising from the San Tin Technopole project has been sentenced to community service for defrauding authorities out of HK$16,780 (US$2,138) in welfare benefits. Eastern Court on Thursday adopted a probation officer's recommendation to sentence Eddie Tse Sai-kit to 120 hours of unpaid community work after his lawyer said he 'recklessly' understated his earnings to obtain four months' worth of welfare allowances last year. A presentencing report cited the 68-year-old defendant as saying he had mistakenly believed that he only needed to report his average monthly income over the year in his application to the Social Welfare Department. Acting Principal Magistrate David Cheung Chi-wai at one point questioned whether the court should accept the 68-year-old defendant's earlier guilty plea, before concluding that his failure to make an accurate declaration went beyond mere negligence and deserved criminal sanction. Cheung also noted that Tse had admitted wrongdoing at the first opportunity and was remorseful. Tse was arrested early this year while he was challenging an environmental impact assessment report that endorsed the development of a technology hub near the mainland Chinese border. Despite securing permission from the High Court to commence judicial review proceedings, Tse later dropped the case, citing 'widespread harassment and intimidation'. A pro-Beijing newspaper had also depicted Tse as an activist 'disrupting Hong Kong' by blindly opposing development under the guise of promoting environmental preservation. According to a prosecution case summary, Tse applied for an Old Age Living Allowance of HK$4,195 in June 2023 and claimed his monthly income was HK$5,000, which was below the limit of HK$10,710 at the time. He received a total of HK$80,460 from the department between July 2023 and December 2024. But the social worker failed to declare his earnings from Polytechnic University, where he had worked as a part-time fieldwork supervisor from January 2021 to May this year. Tse earned an additional monthly salary of between HK$6,000 and HK$19,200 from June to December last year for his work at the university, according to the summary. He also failed to notify the department that he had accepted a one-off 'honorarium' of HK$24,000 from the Social Workers Registration Board for serving on its disciplinary committee panel. An investigation concluded Tse would not have been entitled to the monthly allowance in July, August, November and December last year – an amount totalling HK$16,780 – if he had not concealed his income. Tse pleaded guilty earlier this month to four counts of fraud. Magistrate Cheung had ordered that Tse pay HK$16,780 in compensation to the department as part of his penalty. The defence said in a previous hearing that Tse had retired from social work after his arrest. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
