Malaysians who really care for the country would feel a sense of responsibility to first scrutinise information they receive through the social media before sharing it.

In this regard, Communications and Multimedia deputy minister Jailani Johari urged the public to refrain from circulating unverified information which could turn viral and lead to far reaching consequences.

"Don't take the matter lightly. There have been a number of Internet abuse cases where the culprits were charged and sentenced," he said.

He told reporters this when asked to comment on the public trend to share and circulate information from social websites without first verifying their authenticity.    

Jailani who is also Terengganu Umno Liaison deputy chairman earlier opened the 12th AGM for the Terengganu Council of Former Elected Representatives (Mubarak), Kuala Terengganu today.

Meanwhile, he said police would investigate every report lodged on Internet abuse and seek technical assistance from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission.

"The case will then be referred to the Attorney-General's Chambers for further action such as prosecution under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1988 or other acts.

"We noticed that many of the cases involved the young generation, so I hope parents will monitor their children to prevent them from abusing the Internet," he said.

- Bernama