While curbing fake news is a step in the right direction, Amanah lawmaker Hanipa Maidin cannot help but to point out the country's reality, in which "real news" is seen as the enemy.

"Curbing fake news is good. But the reality in this country is that the rakyat are the victims for spreading accurate news," he said in a statement last night.

The Sepang MP was responding to the government's announcement that a special committee had been set up to study a new law to curb fake news in the country.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said has expressed hope that the draft of the new law can be tabled to the cabinet soon. 

However, Hanipa cited the case of Pandan lawmaker Rafizi Ramli (photo) being sentenced to 30 months' jail yesterday for leaking data from National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd's bank accounts. 

"A classic example is the case of my good friend, the Pandan MP. He was jailed for 30 months for exposing accurate news.

"The one who was embroiled in the accurate news is outside and is free, and I heard that the person is now busy preparing to contest in the coming general election," he said.

'Punished for the truth'

Hanipa also lamented how the country has various laws that "punish" the rakyat for telling the truth, citing the Sedition Act and the Official Secrets Act.

"Truth is not a defence in the said laws. Even in Parliament, we cannot talk about the truth, like on issues surrounding 1MDB.

"So is it fake news or real news that is the country's enemy?"

Hanipa vowed that Pakatan Harapan MPs will not keep mum on the matter and will rise against "BN's bullying" in Parliment.

"We will not accept it if others say we are mere observers and we will also not be merely 'neutral'," he said, in a dig at his former party PAS.

PAS MPs had abstained from voting for or against Budget 2018.