Cops tracking down individual allegedly linked to fake claims over national archer's death

KUALA LUMPUR: Police have opened an investigation paper into the case of an individual suspected of spreading fake news that the death of national archer Haziq Kamaruddin was linked to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Kajang district police chief ACP Mohd Zaid Hassan said an investigation was being conducted after police received a report from a female student last Saturday who viewed a video shared via WhatsApp and Instagram applications on the matter.

He said the three-minute, 34-second video featured a woman who alleged that Haziq's death was due to clogged blood vessels after receiving the Astrazeneca vaccine, and blamed the Health Ministry (MOH) for hiding the real cause of death as well as for reporting inaccurate numbers in relation to COVID-19 positive cases.

"Police are tracking down the individual in the video recording and the case is being investigated under Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

"The public is advised not to spread unverified information as this can cause alarm or concern within the community," he said in a statement today.

On May 15, MOH Forensic Medical Services head Datuk Dr Zahari Noor said Haziq died of complications arising from clogged heart blood vessels due to coronary artery atherosclerosis, adding there was no evidence to show that the 27-year-old Olympian's death was linked to Covid-19 vaccination.

Haziq, who had represented the country at the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics, was reported to have collapsed at his home at about 8 am on May 14.

He was rushed to Kajang Hospital before pronounced dead at 9.37 am.

Haziq was among the over 200 athletes and officials making preparations for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Tokyo, who had taken their Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine second dose on May 4.

-- BERNAMA