No public holiday was announced for Wednesday (Mar 15) in Malaysia following Michelle Yeoh’s Oscar win.
This clarification from government officials came after a manipulated image of a news article was widely shared online.
The image, misusing the identity of Malaysian news outlet The Star, showed Yeoh giving her acceptance speech after she was named the Academy Award winner for Best Actress.
The spoofed news article was also headlined: “PM Anwar declares public holiday on Wednesday: ‘This is the pride of a nation!'”
“The information shared through screenshots of news that went viral on social media is false,” the Prime Minister’s Department said on Monday evening. It also urged members of the public to not spread or share false or unconfirmed information.
Star Media Group, which owns The Star’s online portal, also alerted the public to the fake image on Monday evening.
“It has come to the company’s attention that a picture, depicting a manipulated image which misuses The Star’s identity, is making the rounds on social media,” it said.
The company added that the image was a misrepresentation of The Star’s actual news coverage.
“A check on the Lifestyle section of The Star’s portal, which houses the Entertainment category, confirms that no such article was carried amid the slew of news on Yeoh’s historic Best Actress win at the 2023 Oscars,” said the company.