The Public Health Malaysia social media page recently stirred up some controversy after suggesting that "APT.," a new song by ROSÉ and Bruno Mars inspired by a Korean drinking game, promotes negative Western influences.
Given ROSÉ’s prominent status in K-pop, the post quickly gained traction in South Korea. However, in a surprising twist, a Korean news portal misidentified Public Health Malaysia as the Malaysian Ministry of Health (MOH).
Adakah anda ada mendengar lagu dengan lirik catchy Apateu, apateu Apateu, apateu Apateu, apateu Membedah lirik lagu...
Posted by Public Health Malaysia on Wednesday 23 October 2024
This misidentification led to a widely circulated article titled, “Malaysian Government Slams BLACKPINK Rosé’s ‘APT.’ And Warns Parents.” The article mistakenly claimed that Malaysia’s Ministry of Health had raised concerns over the song’s suitability for young listeners, even alleging that MOH shared an official post questioning the song’s impact. The mix-up caused confusion among readers and sparked a backlash online, with some people mistakenly directing criticism toward MOH.
In response to the mix-up, MOH posted a statement on their verified social media pages, clarifying that they had not issued any comments on "APT." or its impact. They emphasised that Public Health Malaysia is an independent entity with no affiliation to the Ministry of Health.
“The Ministry of Health (MOH) Malaysia wishes to clarify that any statements regarding this article attributed to MOH have not been issued or authorised by the Government of Malaysia. We would like to highlight that the posting was made by an entity which is not linked to the Ministry in any form whatsoever.”
MOH also advised the public to verify information through official channels to avoid confusion. They cautioned against spreading unverified claims, underscoring the importance of accurate information, especially on matters of public health.
This situation highlights the challenges of misinformation and the importance of distinguishing between official entities and independent groups online.
