KUALA LUMPUR, April 2 — Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak said today media publications that convey honest opinions and report conscientiously need not fear the recently passed Anti-Fake News Bill 2018.
The minister of communications and multimedia said only those who distribute false news should be worried, pointing to several allegations carried by Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post (SCMP).
“The definition of fake news in the Bill is clear and specific; freedom of speech as provided for under the Federal Constitution will not be curtailed.
“And the Government will not itself decide what is fake news, but instead will allow a neutral party, namely the Courts, to decide via independent legal process,” he said in a statement.
He had listed down several SCMP reports as ways for Malaysians to determine “appalling lies”, including a March 30 op-ed titled “Why are foreign leaders snubbing Najib ahead of Malaysia’s election?”, which he dubbed “prime example of fake news”.
Salleh refuted the article’s claim that foreign leaders are dissociating themselves with Najib, explaining that Putrajaya has itself declined these foreign visits, since they would be seen as attempts to interfere in the upcoming polls.
He then touched on the topic of data firm Cambridge Analytica, which was accused of influencing the result of the US presidential election, refuting SCMP’s allegation that Najib had hired it.
“The SCMP used to be a widely respected regional newspaper, and some Malaysians reading its reports may naively think they can trust them. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case,” he said.
He then went on to claim that facts, journalistic process, and ethics are “no longer sacred” to some international news outlets.
“Whether they are deliberate or careless, they are instances of misinformation. This is fake news. It is a danger to us all,” Salleh said.
“And the Malaysian government, along with many others around the world, will not hesitate to take the necessary steps ahead of our imminent election to ensure the well of democracy is not irretrievably poisoned with lies, falsehoods, smears and supposition.”
The Dewan Rakyat had passed the Anti-Fake News Bill 2018 earlier today.
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