It would be the first use of the law which came into effect on April 11.

The messages spread after news of Tunku Ismail’s visit to a Johor Baru supermarket, where he announced he would foot the bills of up to RM3,000 per shopper.

The false message last night claimed that the prince, who is Tunku Mahkota Johor, would visit various supermarkets and foot the bill for up to RM200 per shopper.

Johor police chief Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd said that Pontian police were told that a large group of people had gathered at the Econsave supermarket there because of the false message.

“Similar messages were widely shared in other parts of the state,” he said.

Investigations were begun under the Communications and Multimedia Act, which also has a provision on fake news. “Then we proceeded to investigate it under Section 4 of the Anti-Fake News Act,” he said in a statement.

The act provides for a maximum fine of RM500,000, jail sentence of up to six years, or both, and a fine of RM3,000 a day for continuing offences.

Khalil advised the public to verify any news they received online on their smartphones before spreading it, and not to “blindly accept anything you read on social media as the truth”.

“We will take the full measure of the law against any individual or organisation which abuses social media to write or share false news of any kind,” he said.

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Anti-Fake News Act is law, in force now