The Covid-19 Virus Hoax Fights From Fahira Idris

JAKARTA - General Chairman of Cyber Indonesia, Muanas Alaidid, reported a member of the Regional Representative Council (DPD) of the Republic of Indonesia Fahira Idris to the police, accusing him of spreading false news about the spread of the corona virus or COVID-19 through social media accounts.

In the report registered with the number LP / 1387 / III / Yan.2.5 / 2020 / SPKT / PMJ, dated March 1, 2020, Fahira's upload was said to have caused a commotion and disturbed the public.

"The false news about the corona virus is a serious problem. The content was protested by netizens and even became a trending topic on Twitter with the hashtag #tangkapfahiraidris," said Muanas in Jakarta, Monday, March 2.

Muanas is worried, because Fahira's social media accounts have many followers or followers. So, it is not impossible if they tend to believe what Fahira said.

For this reason, as a senator, Fahira should have been more careful in issuing statements. Even though the upload was claimed to have quoted from one of the media, Muanas emphasized that this was still not justified. Later, the media that publish the news will also be processed through the Press Council.

"The media is resolved according to the rules of the media, while for the public or us this applies criminal law. Everything has rules, none of us are above the law, all are the same," said Muanas.

With evidence in the form of two screenshots and a flashdisk containing a URL link, the police accepted the report. Fahira was threatened with Articles 14 and 15 of Law Number 1 Year 1946 concerning Criminal Law Regulations and Article 28 paragraph 2 Jo. Article 45 paragraph 2 of Law 19 of 2016 concerning ITE.

Meanwhile, Fahira did not feel that he was spreading false news about 136 patients under Coronavirus Control in Indonesia. According to him, in his upload there was not a single sentence stating that hundreds of people were positive for a dangerous virus.

The context of 'under surveillance' in the upload, has an indicated meaning so it must be examined first. However, this is what is at issue and seems to divert from the existing context.

"What is meant by 'under surveillance' is none other than 'suspect' and does not mean 'positive being infected with the COVID-19 corona virus'," said Fahira.

Fahira added that the reason he dared to upload by quoting the content was because the source in the news was also considered to have the ability to explain the Corona virus. So, there is no fake news element behind it all.

"(News content) I have asked for an explanation from the Ministry of Health that there are indeed patients under corona surveillance who are once again suspected," he said.

Meanwhile, from the police side, the Head of Public Relations of Polda Metro Jaya, Kombes Yusri Yunus, said that the investigators are currently investigating the report. Later, in the near future the reporting party will be summoned to clarify the report.

However, the agenda for clarification cannot yet be ascertained because all decisions are up to the investigators. In addition, the summon of the reported party will also be carried out to explore information about the sit of the case.

"From there, it then develops whether the possibility of being summoned later (reported) is checked who owns the Fahira Idris account," concluded Yusri.