I did not die in car crash in Malaysia, says actor Hossan Leong in response to fake news report

The report said that Hossan Leong "crashed into the back of a lorry in the Malaysian state of Johor" while driving to Malacca. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM GLOBAL NEWS WEBSITE

SINGAPORE - Singaporean comedian Hossan Leong on Friday (June 30) posted a video on his Facebook page saying he did not die in a car crash in Malaysia as a fake news article recently reported.

The 47-year-old said he was told by a friend, Singapore Press Holdings' Kiss92 radio station DJ Joshua Simon, about an online article saying he had died.

Said Leong: "I just want to say that it came to my attention from a good friend of mine... that there's an article online about me dying in a car crash on the way to Kuala Lumpur. It's fake news and I just want to say that I'm well."

While he did not specify the website, a report on Glonews360.com has an undated report headlined: "BREAKING: Singaporean comedian and actor Hossan Leong dies in a tragic car crash".

The article says Leong "crashed into the back of a lorry in the Malaysian state of Johor" while driving to Malacca.

It quoted Batu Pahat district police and uses the names of real victims and district police.

However, the article lifts heavily from news reports published in September last year, about a separate incident.

Leong's clarification was met with relief and jokes.

Wrote Steven David Lim: "We all know you never age and will go on forever so such news is obviously fake."

Allan Fernandez quipped: "You know you made it when someone invents a fake news story about you dying."

The spotlight has been placed on fake news recently. Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam said earlier this month that new laws to tackle fake news are in the works and are expected to roll out next year.

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