KUALA LUMPUR: Just hours after Kudat MP Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri made claims on Facebook that university student Veveonah Mosibin had faked the lack of Internet connection in her village to gain popularity and attention, the post has now been removed.
It was believed that the Deputy Finance Minister's decision to take down the post could be related to criticism from social media users, who largely commented that he should not be picking on Veveonah and instead work on improving the overall Internet coverage in Sabah.
Abdul Rahim's post, questioning why the 18-year-old Universiti Malaya Sabah student needed to climb a tree for Internet access, when she could have traveled to nearby Pitas town for better connection, did not go down well with netizens.
Facebook user Zainuddin Omar said it was "weird" that two deputy ministers had resorted to attacking Veveonah.
"Focus on rural connectivity lah not 'hentam' (lambasting) a village kid."
Atiq Masri agreed with Zainuddin, saying: "It is only right that the minister take proactive steps to resolve the problem."
Maria Shariff posted,"The minister should look into the problems the kid (Veveonah) is facing, not condemn her."
In Dewan Negara last week, Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin said that Veveonah was merely a publicity seeker who had no Internet access issues.
Zahidi later retracted his statement and apologised to Veveonah after a fierce public backlash.
Abdul Rahim earlier stressed that Veveonah had faked her situation in her viral video while sitting for an online examination during the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO).
In the video, Veveonah was seen climbing on a tree for better Internet access in her village of Kampung Sepatalang in Pitas.
Abdul Rahim said he had sent an officer to meet with Kampung Bilangau Besar village head Edward Upak and Kampung Sepatalang village head Elwin Madisa in Pitas to probe the matter.
The village heads had said Veveonah and her family were no longer residents of Kampung Sepatalang and had moved to Pitas town which has internet service.
"In truth, she does not have a home in Kampung Sepatalang. So how could this student claim to have studied on top of a tree, whereas she has been living in Pitas town?" Abdul Rahim said in the Facebook post.
Abdul Rahim also said he had initiated another "investigation" by seeking information from a UMS dean faculty, who had claimed that there was no examination at that time and that students were allowed to stay at campus if the internet connection in their hometowns are weak.
Abdul Rahim also censured Vevoenah for climbing the tree, saying that it would be disastrous to her family and the country if she had fallen from it.