Friday April 11, 2008
Koh: Be cautious of info via SMS
By DERRICK VINESH
PENANG: Be wary of information circulated via SMS as it could be highly unreliable – this is the advice of former Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon who was implicated in a recent SMS rumour over a land deal.
Dr Koh, who was vindicated after the state government denied an SMS alleging that the previous state administration under him had transferred a piece of land in Rifle Range to the Prime Minister’s son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin, said: “I welcome the state’s move to stop the misinformation being spread via SMS.
“The episode is a good lesson to all, although I became a victim. This shows that SMS allegations need to be taken with a pinch of salt.”
He added that many rumours were also spread via SMS during the general election.
“It was just impossible for us to lodge police reports over every other SMS allegation,” he said in an interview.
On Wednesday, the state government denied an SMS circulating here on the alleged land transfer.
State Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow set things right when he said the land ownership records showed that the land lease was still fully held by the Penang Municipal Council.
Dr Koh’s former political secretary Mark Ooi had last week called on the new government to clarify the land ownership and put a stop to the false SMS implicating the former chief minister.
YB, no doubt you set things right again. But, this is after Dr Koh’s former political secretary called the new state govt to do so.
It is your duty to quash such malicious rumor early, instead of let it spread. Be ethical.
Comment by kalama — Saturday, 19-04-2008 @ 02: 40.58
If this sms implicated Khairy, then you wonder who started the wildfire… Anybody in the “same household” playing with some matches ??? At least Khairy decides to lie low right now, lest he fans the flames of discontent against him…
Comment by boobear — Saturday, 19-04-2008 @ 05: 37.13