The embattled Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has once again hinted at looming changes to laws regulating the Internet.

In a speech today, he bemoaned that he was a victim of "trial by social media" and claimed that netizens hold him to different standards compared to opposition leaders.

As such, the laws regulating the Internet and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will be revamped to address this.

"If scandals (affecting the opposition) happen to an Umno or BN leader, he would have been charged long ago, (or) forced to resign long ago. This is not fair.

"We must fix this situation. One way is through enforcement. MCMC and laws need to be diperkemaskan (updated).

"It is not that we don't want freedom, but we don't want absolute freedom such that slander and falsehood are treated as the truth," he said today.

He said this during the officiation of the Hulu Selangor Umno division annual general meeting in Kuala Kubu Baru today.

Anwar and Mustafa

To make his point, Najib cited two controversies involving opposition leaders, while complaining that they were quickly dismissed and swept aside.

Without naming those implicated in these incident, Najib spoke about a sex tape depicting a man resembling former opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and another sex tape involving a "large pair of men's underwear" supposedly depicting then PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali, among several other issues

"When it comes to the opposition, all these are considered as slander and false allegations. People have clearly been (caught) with 'China Dolls' and lost an Omega watch, but that is still considered untrue and his supporters defended him, even winning an election.

"Isn't that strange?" he said.

Both Anwar and Mustafa had denied involvement in the videos.

On the flipside, Najib lamented that he is held to be "guilty until proven innocent" on social media and even BN itself had been a victim.

Trial by social media

He related to the delegates about how netizens believed allegations that 40,000 Bangladeshi nationals were being flown in to vote during the 13th general election despite the logistical nightmare of such an endeavour, and allegations that he brought his wife Rosmah Mansor to cabinet meetings.

He said the photo purported to be that of Rosmah in a cabinet meeting with him and several minister was in fact taken in a hotel during an official visit to Beijing.

"When we read law, ('innocent until proven guilty') is the maxim, and even if you want to punish, we must (prove the crime) beyond reasonable doubt.

"But when are faced with 'trial by social media', especially for us as members of the administration, it seems to have turned around.

"We are already pronounced guilty, and we are forced to prove our innocence," he lamented.