KANGAR: The public has been reminded not to be easily deceived by social media accounts impersonating government agencies and offering registration for Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah (STR) or other government assistance.
Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said there were accounts on platforms such as TikTok that misused the government coat of arms and used graphics giving the impression that registration for the assistance was being handled by government agencies.
“I would like to stress that any information, especially on social media, should be cross-checked and verified either through mainstream media or official websites,” he told reporters after attending the MADANI Kita Programme (PMK) 2026 here today.
Fahmi said any application or registration to obtain government services and assistance should be made through the official channels of the relevant agencies, and not via links or unverified social media accounts.
Meanwhile, he said users could make use of artificial intelligence (AI) features available on some platforms to help conduct an initial check on information that they suspect may be dubious.
Fahmi said users also needed to be more cautious before sharing content on social media as a large amount of content related to scams and false information was now being circulated on the platforms.
He said that to date, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had requested social media platforms to take down nearly 500,000 content items, with the majority, or between 85 and 90 per cent, comprising those related to scams and online gambling.
Commenting on the PMK, Fahmi said the programme was an initiative of the MADANI Government to reach out to the people, understand local needs and issues, and expand direct access to government services at the grassroots level.
Among the activities that directly benefited the people were Rahmah Sales, government exhibitions and service counters, briefings on current issues, helmet exchanges, health and dental screenings, motorcycle engine oil changes, manicure services and free haircuts.
Fahmi also presented Rahmah baskets containing food and basic necessities to 100 recipients in the Kangar parliamentary constituency as an effort to ease their burden.
Also present were Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah and Information Department director-general Erwin Khairul Ahmad.
