Fake news bill to be tabled in Parliament next week

Updated 6 years ago · Published on 21 Mar 2018 6:31PM · 5 Comments

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said says the fake news bill will be tabled in Parliament next week after it was approved by the cabinet today. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, March 21, 2018.

THE fake news bill will be tabled next week in Parliament after it was approved by the cabinet today, said Azalina Othman Said.

The de facto law minister said the bill will be tabled for its first reading next week.

“There will also be a briefing on the bill for Barisan Nasional and opposition parliamentarians,” she said in a statement today.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department stressed that this bill was in no way to curb freedom of speech of Malaysians.

“This bill will not inhibit the people’s freedom of speech as enshrined in the federal constitution,” Azalina said.

She also added that the bill sends a clear message from Putrajaya that they would not “compromise with anything that will disturb the public peace and the nation’s security”.

A government announced in January a special committee had been formed to draft a law on fake news, in a move greeted with reservation from civil society activists, law experts and opposition leaders.

Azalina announced last week that Putrajaya was getting input from major tech giants like Google, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for their input on the bill.

Activists and lawyers claim there are enough laws to tackle fake news while opposition politicians fear the new legislation will be used to clamp down on media reports that highlight government abuses. – March 21, 2018.

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Comments

  • After the fake-news law is passed, and the GE14 is declared, opposition parties will not be able to talk about 1MDB in their election campaign. The police will arrest anybody who talk about 1MDB, and hold them for a week so that they will not be able to campaign until election is over. If the detention centres are crowded, and if there is any protest on the streets, emergency law will be declared, and so GE 14 will be suspended. Opposition partie can only talk about 1MDB until the law is passed.

    Posted 6 years ago by Meng Kow Loh · Reply

  • TAKE THE BULL BY THE HORNS ...........RULE OF THE DAY.

    Posted 6 years ago by Mohanarajan murugeson · Reply

  • “If there are coffee shops that have become 'nests' of those who slander the government, we ‘gempur’ (attack) those coffee shops. Flip over their tables.

    “If you get caught by police, I will post your bail. Don’t give the opposition face,” Mohamad was recorded as saying, to cheers from the audience.

    “Who is indulging in hate politics?” Azilina the above is said by NEGERI SEMBILAN MENTERI BESAR. IS THIS CAUGHT BY FAKE LAW ACT? COME CLEAN AZLINA.

    Posted 6 years ago by Mohanarajan murugeson · Reply

  • Does this mean that all religions and their propagators will be banned for spreading fake news. A piece of legislation banning fake news will be wide open for abuse because who will declare news as being fake. But that’s the way repressive regimes work. Ban everything you don’t like. Just like they do in Islamic countries....and in China ...and in the DAP

    Posted 6 years ago by Dennis Madden · Reply

  • Is it going to be like "It's not what you say, but how you say what is said"?..

    Posted 6 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply