Saturday March 2, 2013

Army commander tells bloggers to stop spreading wrong info

Heroes down: The bodies of the two Malaysian commandos being taken in a truck from Kg Tanduo in Lahad Datu after the skirmish. - NORMIMIE DIUN/The Star

KUCHING: Bloggers have been urged to refrain from spreading inaccurate information about the ongoing standoff between the armed Sulu group and Malaysian security forces in Lahad Datu.

Army First Division commander Mej Jen Datuk Mohd Zaki Mokhtar said this would create a wrong perception about what was happening on the ground.

“People who do not know the real situation are spreading all kinds of things which are not correct. For example, in the first week of the standoff they were saying that fighting had occurred and the situation was not calm, which was not true.

“What is being spread in the blogs is not good. It gives the wrong perception that the security forces are not doing enough, but that is not true,” he told reporters after attending the 80th Army Day celebration at Penrissen Camp here yesterday.

He advised the public to read media reports which were more reliable and accurate, rather than get information from blogs.

Mej Jen Zaki said army personnel, including those from the Sri Aman and Sibu camps, were there on standby to support the police operation.

On another matter, Mej Jen Zaki said the army would continue to improve its readiness and quality of life for its personnel in line with the theme of the 80th Army Day celebration.

“Threats in the future will come in all sorts of traditional and non-traditional forms, so our scope and range of preparedness must be wide in order to face them,” he said.

He also said the Government had been very positive in taking care of the military, such as approving a promotion exercise for some 8,000 personnel.

“In the first phase, 1,400 personnel received their promotions in Sungai Besi recently. We are also doing the same thing here and in Sibu and Kota Kinabalu,” he said, adding that the promotions would raise the morale of army personnel.

At yesterday’s ceremony, 422 personnel from the First Division received their promotions. They comprised 257 privates who were promoted to the rank of lance corporal and 165 lance corporals who were promoted to corporals.

Six personnel also received certificates of commendation.

For the celebration, the First Division mounted a parade of 28 officers and 513 men led by Royal Ordnance Corps Battalion 71 commanding officer Lt Kol Joshua Sri Anadevan.

They were accompanied by the First Division band led by drum major Warrant Officer 2 Norazmi A. Rahman.

News

Saturday March 2, 2013

Army commander tells bloggers to stop spreading wrong info