Laws To Check Fake News Protect Malaysians - Salleh
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 (Bernama) -- The formulation of laws to check fake news is aimed at protecting the interests of all Malaysians, including opposition politicians, and preventing them from becoming victims of fake news, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Salleh Said Keruak.
He said the introduction of these laws was not intended to victimise anyone, even the opposition politicians, as claimed by Pakatan Harapan chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"False are the opposition claims that the laws to check fake news are intended to suppress the opposition so as to benefit the government. In fact, the opposition (politicians) will also be protected from becoming victims of fake news.
"If we look at this fake news...it does not only involve politicians. Artistes, celebrities and ordinary people also become victims.
"We want to make sure that any matter pertaining to national security and that which can undermine racial relations arising from the spread of fake news is checked, and as such legal action must be enforced," he said to reporters after the launch of the 'Kuala Lumpur as a Cultural and Creative City Report 2018' at Bursa Malaysia today.
Also present was the chief executive officer of the Cultural Economy Development Agency (CENDANA), Izan Satrina Mohd Sallehuddin.
Salleh said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said would look into and discuss all matters pertaining to the laws to check fake news.
"Fake news doesn't concern the government only. It involves the ordinary people and also the opposition members. But at the moment there is no discussion at the Cabinet level, he said.
On Jan 30, Azalina announced that the government had set up a special committee to study new laws to check fake news that could undermine political stability, public order and national security.
She was reported to have said that new measures to tackle the dissemination of fake news had to be taken so that the public would be more careful when it came to producing, disseminating and sharing unverified news and also to ensure that national security was maintained.
Earlier, Salleh, in his speech, said CENDANA was working with his ministry to enable the growth of art and culture performed in spaces for less than 500 people and in public spaces to be exempted from the Central Agency for the Application for Filming and Performance by Foreign Artistes (PUSPAL) process.
"This is my ministry's commitment, and we are currently in discussions. I am sure this will be an additional good news for this sector once it is firmed up," he said.
-- BERNAMA
