Police have dismissed claims that officers were escorting vehicles allegedly carrying foreign nationals in Tanjung Minyak, saying a viral video circulating on social media had been misleadingly edited.
Acting Melaka Tengah police chief Superintendent Halim Abas said investigations found that the footage was likely created by combining recordings from two separate locations, giving viewers a false impression of the situation.
According to Halim, the portion of the video showing a police four-wheel-drive vehicle exiting a junction was genuinely recorded near Masjid Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakub in Tanjung Minyak.
However, he stressed that the police vehicle was not escorting any convoy at the time.
“The police personnel were not accompanying or escorting any vehicles. Several other vehicles happened to exit the junction at the same time and were seen travelling behind the police vehicle,” he said in a statement on Monday.
Halim explained that the footage showing vehicles allegedly belonging to foreign nationals was believed to have been recorded elsewhere and not in Tanjung Minyak as suggested by comments accompanying the viral post.
He added that a closer examination of the video clearly showed differences in the surroundings and visual elements captured in both clips, indicating that they originated from separate locations before being merged through editing.
The edited video, he said, had caused confusion among members of the public and led to inaccurate assumptions regarding police involvement.
The controversy began after a 28-second video surfaced on TikTok carrying a caption questioning why foreign nationals allegedly required a police escort.
The clip first showed a group of vehicles believed to belong to foreign nationals gathered on a red-earth site before transitioning to footage of a police vehicle in Tanjung Minyak, creating the impression that both recordings were connected.
Police have urged the public to verify information before sharing content online and to avoid spreading misleading or unverified claims that could create unnecessary public concern.
Authorities also reminded social media users that manipulated or edited content can distort facts and potentially undermine public confidence if shared without proper verification.
