THE Anti-Fake News law that was passed in Parliament earlier this year should be repealed as it was primarily meant to safeguard former prime minister Najib Razak and 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), said DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang.

“We should repeal the Anti-Fake News law because it was not meant to curb fake news,” Lim said at a press conference at the Segambut parliamentary office in Kuala Lumpur today.

“It was meant to institutionalise and ensure that Najib’s 1MDB scandal was not exposed. 1MDB is not fake news,” he said.

Najib is now the subject of an investigation by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which is looking into how RM42 million went from SRC International, formerly a 1MDB subsidiary, to Najib’s personal bank account.

Lim said that the media were victims of the legislation, as it kept the press from reporting on 1MDB.

“(We should) repeal it and look at the whole question of fake news and lies making rounds in the media and how best Malaysians can deal with this problem,” said the Iskandar Puteri MP.

Yesterday, Lim said a new law, designed by the press and society, should replace it.

“There’s a need to fight fake news because in social media and print media, there is a lot of false information,” he had said. – June 20, 2018.