DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang has challenged Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak to a "Fake News Confrontation" between BN and Pakatan Harapan leaders.

Calling for the sessions to be telecast live, he said the first "series of confrontation" should be between Salleh and himself.

"In these series of 'Fake News Confrontation' between Salleh and myself, each side will produce five fake news to be either confirmed as true and factual or debunked as pure fake news," he added.

Singling out Utusan Malaysia, Lim accused Umno and BN of being the biggest manufacturers of fake news at present through media organisations controlled by them.

“For over 40 years from 1965, I did not exist as far as Utusan Malaysia was concerned, as all my statements, speeches and activities were blacked out in its pages.

“But in the past 10 years since the 2008 general election, I became 'big news' in Utusan Malaysia, with my photographs and reports getting huge play, but not true news, but fake news,” he said.

Lim was responding to Salleh, who thanked the DAP veteran yesterday for supporting his call for Malaysians to play a proactive role in combatting fake news.

“Only time so far I agree with Salleh,” the DAP leader had tweeted.

Lim had also asked if Salleh and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MACC) opposed fake news which targets the opposition as well.

To this, Salleh responded that the law was clear and necessary action would be taken if a report was lodged with MCMC.

Commenting on this, Lim claimed the minister failed to address the issues he raised and deflected them with an officious position instead.

The DAP leader also provided a laundry list of fake accusations levelled against him by the Umno-controlled media.

“I was painted as quite a devil, a puaka, even jembalang; that I am anti-Malay, anti-Islam; the cause of May 13, 1969 riots; a communist (although astute observers will note that this communist 'label' had not been used recently after Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak tried to get very pally with China, with Umno invited to speak at the 19th Communist Party of China national congress next week).

“A stooge of foreign powers (although it was Najib who paid homage to US President Donald Trump at the White House, offering to 'strengthen' the American economy with Malaysia's puny economy).

“That I dominate Pakatan Harapan and made other leaders... into my stooges and puppets. Are these facts and truth or are they lies and fake news?” he said.

Lim asked if Umno leaders would instruct the party-controlled media to stop publishing such claims if they were sincere about curbing fake news.