Zulkarnain Mohd Yasin of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said misinformation could cause panic among the community.

He said there were many cases of fake news reports being shared online in which names of important figures had been used, among them the name of health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.

One example of fake statements was a purported family movement control order.

Zulkarnain, who is MCMC’s chief regulatory officer, said the fake news culture “is more about manipulating the mind as well as twisting facts so as to arouse anger and cause panic among the people”.

The culprit might also be seeking glory and popularity by being the first to “break the news” and attracting more followers on their social media accounts.

He said the public must increase their ability to spot fake news. “Cultivate the (habit of) checking before sharing and referring to authentic sources,” said Zulkarnain in an interview on Bernama radio.

They should not easily believe any piece of information even if it supposedly quoted important people.