Putrajaya has reiterated that it will repeal the controversial Anti-Fake News Act 2018 (AFN Act) in its first Parliament sitting commencing on July 16.

This is according to a letter dated June 11 by Amran Mohamed Zin, the ambassador and permanent representative of Malaysia to the United Nations office and other international organisations in Geneva.

He wrote this in reply to David Kaye, the UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, who raised his concern on April 3.

"I wish to inform you that the new government of Malaysia has decided to repeal the Anti-Fake News Act. The process to do so has already begun, and a specific proposal is expected to be tabled during the upcoming parliamentary session beginning on July 16," he said.

One day after the Dewan Rakyat passed the AFN Act, Kaye wrote to Putrajaya urging them to reject the legislation process.

He said the legislation did not appear to comply with the international human rights standards on freedom of expression.

Pakatan Harapan had pledged to revoke the AFN Act in its first 100 days of taking over Putrajaya.

DAP Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang had proposed that the media help draft a new anti-fake news law after the current one is repealed.

Lim said this after some editors in the UK had agreed with the anti-fake news law.