LAWYERS for Liberty has blasted the government for using the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict as an excuse to restrict social media sites. 

Its director Zaid Malik condemned Communication and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil for using the war to justify stifling dissent.  

“This appears to be a transparent and clumsy attempt to use this latest tragedy of the Palestinian people as an excuse to clamp down on social media sites.

“It seems any excuse will do for this government, previously relying on the so-called ‘3Rs’ and now citing supposed fake news circulation on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as a reason to restrict.

“It is deplorable that an international conflict high in the loss of human lives is being exploited by the government to justify its domestic agenda of stifling dissent and criticism,” said Zaid.

Zaid was responding to Fahmi’s recent statement that the government was taking steps to “strengthen compliance of the law within social media platforms”, purportedly because an Al-Jazeera report had said Malaysia allowed the dissemination of “fake news” regarding the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Zaid added that the fake news and hate speech excuses by the government seemed to be a smokescreen to mask their intention to exert control on social media platforms.

He criticised the government for wanting to be the sole arbiter of truth and urged Putrajaya to stop the fear-mongering campaign against dissent.

“If this is allowed, then it would render the right to free speech, a fundamental liberty enshrined under article 10(1)(a) of the Federal Constitution, merely illusory as the government can simply wave away this right away by citing the ‘3Rs’ or that it is ‘fake news’.

“The right to free speech is a sacrosanct right that cannot be restricted by mere allegations of fake news or hate speech.

“If such allegations were substantial, then there are already existing laws that can be utilised against those responsible,” he said.

He added that the government should halt any plan of introducing more laws and refrain from controlling freedom of speech. – October 13, 2023.