KELANTAN police have asked for the public’s help to stop spreading allegations of kidnappings, because they said it is causing fear in the community.

Kelantan police chief Muhamad Zaki Harun said allegations of attempted kidnapping or abduction of children from school, rife on social media sites of late, were unfounded.

“Several posts that were uploaded on social media and spread have prompted police in Kelantan to investigate.

“Allegations about the presence of suspicious individuals loitering at school compounds have been investigated by the police, and were unfounded,” he said in a statement late yesterday.

Zaki said it was an offence to spread material or news that could cause public anxiety, punishable under section 505 (b) of the penal code and section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

He said, specifically, officers investigated claims on September 22 and 26 of attempted kidnapping of primary school students in the Gua Musang, Kuala Krai and Pasir Puteh districts, but the allegations were false.

“From investigations conducted, it was found that the individuals said to be in the school area had no intention of kidnapping, but had other business,” he said.

In Kuala Krai, he said the “suspicious” person was apparently an employee of a water filter service company who was making monthly collections from customers.

Zaki said a similar incident also happened at the Muhammadi Mosque in Kota Baru early this month with an innocent man, understood to suffer from mental health problems, being assaulted on suspicion of attempting to kidnap a child.

Meanwhile, he said a school in Kelantan had not issued a circular advising parents to monitor their children due to the threat of abduction, as claimed. – Bernama, September 27, 2022.