Two police reports have been lodged against claims made on social media of the arrival of passenger flights from India at the KL International Airport on May 1, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
The Transport Minister said it was done to ensure the public is not confused with baseless allegations aimed at causing public unrest.
“In line with the government’s directive, Malaysia Airlines does not fly in passengers from India.
“The irresponsible allegations made by the owner of the Facebook account named Muhammad Fahmi Abdullah have caused anxiety, panic and anger among Malaysians in general.
“It is clear that there was no individual named Ajit Prasat on flight MH191 as alleged. Stop spreading such rumours or false news,” he said in a Facebook post on Monday (May 3).
Dr Wee said he was aware of the comments left in his Facebook post. He said he had explained the matter, confirming there were no such flights as alleged and MH191 is a cargo plane.
“The allegations were dubious because there is no employer from the private sector who can take anyone and send them to the quarantine centre.
“Instead, all these matters are under the control of the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma),” he added.
In a statement, Malaysia Airlines confirmed that it has lodged a police report against two individuals, namely Wan Hilmi Wan Mohd Nor Hilmi and Muhammad Fahmi Abdullah for their erroneous claims on social media.
“Malaysia Airlines finds the accusation by certain individuals detrimental not only to its reputation but views it as a threat to the country’s credibility in curbing the spread of Covid-19,” it said.
Since the country imposed the temporary ban on entry of Indian nationals into Malaysia on April 28, 2021, it said the airline has cancelled all its scheduled passenger flights to and from India to comply with the ruling.
“The flights mounted during the period of May 1 to May 3 from India were full cargo flights utilising Malaysia Airlines’ Passenger-to-Cargo (P2C) aircraft carrying freight comprising pharmaceutical goods, medical supplies, mobile phones, electrical components, and courier packages.
“The flight did not carry any passengers other than the flight crew who remained on board during transit.
“As a further precaution, the airline also did not allow any ground maintenance personnel in India to enter its aircraft,” it added.
Wan Hilmi, in his post, alleged that the government was not serious in tackling Covid-19, pointing out that four flights had landed in Malaysia on May 1.
However, he later edited his remarks and said he was not aware it was a cargo plane and that all flight crew had taken a mandatory swab test.
Fahmi, who is said to be a taxi driver, alleged that he was asked to pick up an Indian national from Kuala Lumpur International Airport to his quarantine centre.
Screenshots of his Facebook posts have been widely shared on social media platforms, including WhatsApp.