Umno leader Ahmad Maslan has disclosed that the number of fake news he receives on WhatsApp reduced after the Anti-Fake News Bill was passed in Parliament.

More shockingly, the caretaker deputy minister revealed that he is in 992 WhatsApp groups.

"I used to receive a lot of fake news, which were forwarded from one person to another. People circulated it to their friends and family," he was quoted as saying by the Star.

He urged WhatsApp users and group administrators to be cautious. He warned that the latter could also be found guilty even if they did not personally share the fake news.

"If you have something that is true, by all means, share it across all platforms, be it WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, Twitter, blogs and so on," he added.

The Bill was passed in Parliament on April 2.

The Bill was gazetted yesterday and came into immediate effect as the nation prepares for the 14th general election.

Those found guilty can be fined up to RM500,000 or jailed up to six years.

Press freedom groups and international watchdogs have criticised the new law on the grounds that it would further stifle media freedom and freedom of expression in Malaysia.

Malaysia has a slew of laws which can be used to tackle fake news.