[UPDATED] KKM Turns Off Twitter Comments After Claiming “We’re Not Asking To Be Abused”
A government body closed communications with the public.
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[UPDATE]: It seems that KKM has come under attack recently on social media by anti-vaxxers and Covid-deniers in the Malay and Bahasa Malaysia-speaking community which may have been why their post was worded in the way it was.
Kompilasi harassment ke atas kkm/frontliners
— fake luktur (@lilacfla) May 6, 2021
Sebab ada yang tak percaya kan
Sapa rajin tambah na. pic.twitter.com/2wgniwgYL6
Health Ministry staff have faced harrassment on social media from these groups, including being called fakes and liars, being threatened with stoning, and more.
The Health Ministry’s official Twitter account, @KKMPutrajaya, has turned off their Twitter comments after netizens lambasted the account for a Tweet.
Seorang pesakit #COVID19 di HSgB perlu ditiarapkan utk paru2 dapat lebih oksigen. Proses ni perlukan at least 7 org untuk mengalihkan pesakit ni dgn dlm keadaan PPE. Hargailah staff nurse dan doktor di icu. Kami xminta dicela sbb netizen xdpt balik raya.
— KKMalaysia🇲🇾 (@KKMPutrajaya) May 5, 2021
Twitter @ctsarahaishah pic.twitter.com/cI09cziz6g
The Tweet, posted on 5 May 2021, showed a video of the effort requied to ensure a Covid-19 patient receives adequate amounts of oxygen. 7 PPE-clad healthcare workers were shown trying to turn over a patient in a hospital bed in Sungai Buloh Hospital. The video itself was taken by a doctor in the hospital, and oddly upbeat music was used.
Respect the staff nurses and doctors at ICU. We’re not asking to be abused because netizens aren’t allowed to go back for Raya.
KKMPutraya
After a year of Covid-19, everyone is on edge
The passive-aggressivness of the Tweet on the national social media platform rubbed many netizens the wrong way.
Many netizens were quick to call out the unusual blame game. Even more were flabbergasted over the assumption that the rakyat do not respect healthcare frontliners.
Nobody criticising them they worked their ass off during this pandemic get off your high horse and rempit behaviour kkm https://t.co/Aeia8BJZsP
— FIQ 🏴☠️ (@sooadlibs) May 5, 2021
First of all, none in my following list either in Twitter and Facebook has denigrated the medical frontliners; only to speak highly of them for their dedication and commitment throughout this pandemic. https://t.co/fvWvhfDekz
— Wan Afifi Zawawie (@afifizawawie) May 6, 2021
Many wondered who the social media account manager is to approve a post they deemed as “unprofessional”.
that song.
— fahmi (@mf_yamato) May 5, 2021
that spelling.
admin ni rempit ke? https://t.co/HyUhqCY1Ty
It’s the way they wrote “xminta” and “xdpt” for me. So very telling. Stop being a fan page for your fucking minister and his two non-functional deputy ministers. Enable reply function ffs. #KerajaanGagal #apamasalahsaudara https://t.co/gM3GAqbEAD
— Alif Ishak Ayob 🇲🇾🌺 (@AIAyob1) May 5, 2021
Closing comments on an official government account
Later on, the account disabled comments on their social media channel. Critics have since been quoting the account, saying disabling comments shows a lack of professionalism for a government body.
Many condemned the move, as a government body, especially one as important as healthcare in the middle of a pandemic, should have two-way communication with the citizens.
The Health Ministry’s Twitter account has still disabled comments at the time of writing.
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