KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 – Sila Pakai Tepung Muka, says the sign outside a shop suggesting, literally, that patrons apply face powder.
Below that phrase is the word MASK.
Now you get the point. The shop was actually recommending the wearing of face masks, an SOP under the Movement Control Order (MCO) in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The sign should have read: Sila Pakai Topeng Muka.
It was a toss-up between tepung and topeng for the creator of that message. The media uses pelitup muka (face mask) though.
A photograph of the improvised sign of misinformation was uploaded onto social media and, of course, it did not go unnoticed.
One of the sharp-eyed netizens was none other than Tan Sri Dr Jemilah Mahmood, the Mercy Malaysia founder and special advisor on public health to Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
“Ermmm … saya rasa @DGHisham belum lagi rekomen menggunakan tepung muka,” (Ermmm … I believe @DGHisham has yet to recommend the use of face powder) read her tweet which came along with a couple of emojis in the comment posted with a sense of humour.
DGHisham is the Director-General of Health Datuk Seri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, who gives a daily update on the war against COVID-19 in the country.
Another netizen posted: “Putihlah semua muka pelanggan dia…(All their customers’ faces will be white …)”
The photograph and the comments were included under the topic of #NetizenPower in the daily report of the COVID-19 War Room of the Communications and Multimedia Ministry for May 14.
— BERNAMA