Influencers And Journalists Get The Boot From Putra Heights Disaster Shelter As Privacy Concerns Mount

The situation reached a breaking point when victims complained about constant privacy invasions, leading to a blanket ban that now requires even Cabinet Ministers to file paperwork for visits.

Fernando Fong

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Authorities have had to beef up security at the Putra Heights temporary evacuation centre after social media influencers apparently couldn’t resist turning disaster relief into content creation opportunities.

The shelter, currently housing victims of 1 April’s massive underground gas explosion, has become an unwitting backdrop for what officials are diplomatically calling “external disturbances.”

Talk about missing the point.

Now, you cannot get past the front door unless you wear a Ministry of Health (or Social Welfare Department badge.

And get this – even Cabinet Ministers need to file paperwork for a visit.

RELA personnel have been stationed at the entrance, maintaining a 24-hour watch to ensure only authorized individuals can access the facility.

Tahap kawalan keselamatan di pusat pemindahan sementara (PPS) dekat Masjid Putra Heights, Subang Jaya, dipertingkat selepas mangsa dikatakan diganggu pihak luar, termasuk pempengaruh.

Berita penuh: https://t.co/udw3lezVG6 pic.twitter.com/RKobzvXK0F
— Berita Harian (@bharianmy) April 4, 2025

When Clout-Chasing Meets Crisis

Selangor Chief Minister Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari dropped this reality check after victims complained about living in a fishbowl.

“People are exhausted from constantly having to open and close their tent curtains,” he said, in what might be the most polite way of saying “leave these people alone” ever recorded.

The timing couldn’t be more tone-deaf – these folks just lost their homes to a 500-meter inferno that lit up the second day of Hari Raya like an apocalyptic barbecue.

The gas pipeline explosion, which could be seen for kilometres around, forced mass evacuations and turned lives upside down.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Shinichi Kee Soon (@shinichikeesoon)

Local Opportunists Add to Victims’ Burden

The message is clear: If you show up with a ring light instead of relief supplies, maybe you should sit this one out.

The blanket ban has also caught legitimate media in its net, raising eyebrows among journalists whose job is to keep the public informed.

Media personnel interview a displaced resident in their temporary shelter at the Putra Heights evacuation centre before the new privacy measures were implemented. (Pix: Fernando Fong)

Some social media users have defended influencers, arguing that at least they bring donations along with their cameras—unlike the press, who bring questions.

Adding to the circus, some locals who weren’t even affected by the explosion had been showing up at the relief centre, giving interviews and potentially taking resources meant for actual victims.

It’s like disaster tourism, but with a local twist—turning a tragedy into their 15 minutes of fame while actual victims struggle to maintain their privacy in temporary shelters.

Terluka juga baca netizen komen eloklah media tak boleh cover PPS mangsa putra height tapi influncer boleh. Pasal influencer bawa something, media hanya bawa soalan. Tapi tu lah, bila media kurang cover pun kena juga kan.
— – (@hudaMuse) April 6, 2025

Parts of this story have been sourced from Berita Harian.

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