MALAYSIA already has sufficient laws to curb the spread of fake news, said Malaysian Bar president George Varughese today.

He said it was not necessary for the government to introduce new laws, but the Bar Council would wait and see what the provisions entailed.

“There are sufficient provisions already in place to take care of issues of this nature.

“Maybe, some elements are there (in the new laws) that are not covered by other (existing) acts,” he told reporters when launching the new Bar Council building in Kuala Lumpur.

He said the government must consult stakeholders, including lawyers, to get a clearer picture of the new laws.

“It is a good thing for the government to consult all stakeholders. I’m sure they will contact the Bar Council.”

Last week, Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that the government was considering new laws to curb fake news, which he said was a threat to political stability and public order.

A special task force was formed last month to study the new laws.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said said the task force included representatives from the police, Attorney-General’s Chambers, Legal Affairs Division, National Security Council, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, and Communications and Multimedia Ministry.

Lawyers for Liberty said Putrajaya’s intent to formulate laws to curb fake news should be viewed with “serious concern” as it might be at the expense of freedom of speech, expression, information and the press.

The group said the new laws could also be open to abuse, as questions remained whether the government was able to distinguish “blatantly fabricated” information from critical news reporting that contained errors. – February 9, 2018.