Dewan Rakyat passes bill to repeal Anti-Fake News Act - again
The Dewan Rakyat today again passed a bill to repeal the Anti-Fake News Act 2018.
A total of 92 lawmakers voted for the abolition while 51 lawmakers wanted the act to remain.
The Dewan Rakyat today again passed a bill to repeal the Anti-Fake News Act 2018.
A total of 92 lawmakers voted for the act's abolition while 51 lawmakers wanted it to remain.
Dewan Rakyat speaker Mohamad Arif Md Yusof had called for a bloc voting at the request of the opposition leader Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
A total of 25 lawmakers had participated in the policy stage debate over the past two days.
The repeal bill for the act was first approved by the Dewan Rakyat in August last year but it was later defeated by the then BN-controlled Dewan Negara.
The government tabled the bill again earlier this week.
The Anti-Fake News Act 2018 was introduced by the previous BN government at the height of the 1MDB scandal which it had attempted to cover up.
The law imposes up to six years imprisonment and an RM500,000 fine on those found guilty of spreading fake news.
The new government has also struggled with fake news but maintains it can be dealt with under other existing laws.
The legislation had raised concern due to its wide-ranging powers including allowing the government to compel any publication to remove reports that were deemed to contain "fake news".
Following the vote today, the government has to table the bill to repeal the act to the Senate again.
In March, de facto Law Minister Liew Vui Keong (above) said the Dewan Negara cannot block the government from abolishing the law.
"After the Anti-Fake News (Repeal) Bill 2018 is tabled in the Dewan Negara again, regardless of whether the Dewan Negara approves or rejects the bill, it must be presented to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong for assent to become law as stated in Article 68(2) of the Federal Constitution," said Liew.
When met at the Parliament lobby, Liew defended his deputy Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, who wound up the debate on Anti-Fake News (Repeal) Bill at the Dewan Rakyat today.
"I think this bill can be presented by my deputy whom I think is able and willing," Liew said when asked why Hanipa took over the winding-up responsibility.
"The opposition was just fiery at the time because of this issue (Anti-Fake News [Repeal] Bill)," said Liew.
"Hanipa did not do wrong, his job as the deputy minister is to ensure that this bill is presented and passed in the Dewan Rakyat," he said.
"We can see that the opposition lawmakers played up the sentiment and raised an issue that only heats up the House. I don't think it is a big problem. What is important is the bill has been passed," he said.
Earlier today, Deputy Law Minister Mohamed Hanipa Maidin drew flak for questioning the gender of Azalina Othman Said (BN-Pengerang) when winding up the bill.
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