KUALA LUMPUR: The viral message claiming that Malaysia is the first ASEAN member country sanctioned by the United States is fake, according to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
Fahmi, who is also Unity Government spokesperson, said he had received a confirmation from the US Embassy that the viral message was fake news, while the international news agency, Reuters also denied publishing a report containing such misinformation.
“Based on the denial by the Reuters Press Team on X and the confirmation I received from the US Embassy, I confirm that the viral message is fake,” he posted on Facebook today.
Earlier, Reuters denied publishing a report, which was widely circulated via WhatsApp, claiming that the US has made Malaysia the first country in the region to be listed as a state sponsor of terror.
“Any claims that Reuters reported that Malaysia is the first country in Southeast Asia to be listed by the United States as a state sponsor of terror are false,” the news agency posted on its X platform.