DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua has accused the federal government of “double standards” with the mooted Anti-Fake News Bill 2018.

According to Pua, Communications and Multimedia Deputy Minister Jailani Johari’s statement in Parliament last week that any 1MDB-related information unverified by the government is fake news was directly contradicted by the minister, Salleh Said Keruak.

Salleh had assured foreign correspondents yesterday that US Department of Justice filings on 1MDB would not be considered fake news. 

“Hence the question arises as to who is telling the truth? Who is giving fake news?

“The deputy minister in Parliament or the minister to the foreign correspondents?” Pua asked in a statement today.

The DOJ claimed that at least US$4.5 billion was misappropriated from 1MDB, and subsequently laundered through global financial systems, including in the US.

Pua noted, however, that since the DOJ’s claims have not been “verified” by the government, then these should qualify as “fake news” according to Jailani’s (photo) statement.

Given this contradiction, the Petaling Jaya Utara MP questioned if the anti-fake news law was only intended to persecute Malaysians critical of the government, in particular, those from the opposition and civil society.

“There can be no further proof needed to demonstrate that the fake news bill is being rushed into Parliament, carrying outrageous penalties targeted at critics of the kleptomaniacs running this country.

“The piece of legislation runs counter to all principles of democracy and natural justice and must be rejected at all cost,” he added.

The proposed Anti-Fake News Bill 2018 intends to introduce a maximum penalty of 10 years’ jail, an RM500,000 fine, or both, for those found guilty of spreading "fake news." 

The bill defines "fake news" as "any news, information, data and reports, which is or are wholly or partly false, whether in the form of features, visuals or audio recordings or in any other form capable of suggesting words or ideas."

‘Preposterous’ law

Fellow DAP lawmaker Charles Santiago also decried the disintegrating freedom of speech in the country with the imminent introduction of the anti-fake news law.

Pointing to the blocking of the Sarawak Report website, and the suspension of The Edge in 2015, Santiago said that the law is aimed at ensuring that negative reports on 1MDB are “muffled.”

“The government is already using a slew of laws to curb freedom of speech and keep a lid on dissent.

“As such, this bill would only serve to stifle the freedom of the media and curb free speech even further,” he said in a statement today.

Santiago added that it was an “outrage” that the government would be the sole arbiter deciding which news reports are accurate or otherwise, compounded by the vague definition of what can be categorised as “fake.”

“It’s preposterous that the government remains the only voice that can determine what is a threat to national security and public order.

“It’s anyone’s guess as to what constitutes fake news and discerning if a piece of information is true, is highly subjective.

“At the end of the day, this is all about the numbers game. Lawmakers from the ruling parties outnumber the opposition. So, this bill will pass. And it will seal the fate of democracy in Malaysia,” he said.