IPOH, Sept 23 — A petrol pump worker in Taiping pictured on the floor and covered in blood was not a victim of a shooting as alleged on social media but rather had fainted due to health problems.

Taiping district police chief ACP Mohamad Nasir Ismail said his team had detected a photograph, which had gone viral, showing a female petrol pump worker lying down on the floor and covered in blood, with the comment "the petrol pump worker was also shot dead after being grazed” on Friday (Sept 20).

"Following the transmission of the photograph, the police conducted an investigation and found that a female worker at a petrol station in Batu 2 ½, Simpang (Taiping) had fainted and fallen due to health problems,” he said in a statement tonight.

"The victim hit her head on the floor and suffered a head injury, causing it to bleed and she had to be taken to hospital for treatment.”

Mohamad Nasir said his team urged the public not to make any speculation that can cause the public to panic and undermine harmony.

According to him, any dissemination of untrue and false information is an offence under Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. — Bernama