As the Malaysian government has tabled a bill in parliament to punish "fake news" providers after Singapore held hearings from Facebook, Google and Twitter representatives last week, world rights organization Amnesty International has come out terming such legislations anathema to freedom of expression and demanded the governments to scrap such stifling plans.
The new bill in Malaysia seeks to punish those found guilty of fake news with a 10-year prison term. James Gomez, Amnesty International's Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, said:"This bill is an assault on freedom of expression. The vague and broad definition of 'fake news', combined with severe punishments and arbitrary arrest powers for police, shows that this is nothing but a blatant attempt to shield the government from peaceful criticism."
In a statement, Amnesty said Malaysia has a long track record of using its laws to silence dissent and it is "no coincidence that this law has been tabled with general elections just around the corner." The move by Malaysian government will shut down whatever little space is left on the social media for a public debate ahead of the polls, it said.
"It is deeply disturbing that the Malaysian authorities are using the catch-all term 'fake news' as an excuse to crack down on critics," said the world outfit for human rights.
The Malaysian Bill has come at a time when the social media giants were being probed for their illegitimate role during the 2016 US Presidential elections and undergoing huge criticism at home and abroad for their diversionary and intrusive role into personal freedom of voters.
South-East Asian countries, including Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines have already started a serious debate on bringing out their own 'fake news' legislation. Amnesty director has urged all countries in the region "to refrain from following this dangerous trend."
The Malaysian government's Anti-Fake News Bill reads, "As the technology advances with time, the dissemination of fake news becomes a global concern and more serious that it affects the public. The proposed Act seeks to safeguard the public against the proliferation of fake news whilst ensuring the right to freedom of speech and expression under the Federal Constitution is respected."
Anybody found guilty of "creating, publishing or disseminating fake news" could face up to 10 years in jail and or a fine of up to RM500,000 (US$127,960). A further fine not exceeding RM3,000 will be imposed for every day after the conviction.
The harsh side of the Bill is that it seeks to prosecute even nationals from other countries irrespective of their nationality, citizenship or location as long as the fake news concerns Malaysia.
Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Keruak told media earlier that any news that is not verified by the government is fake news. "We're more concerned with Malaysian individuals who are affected by the fake news and also some businesses. Don't look at it from just a political perspective."
The country's National Union of Journalists in a statement on Monday said: "The Bill has wide reaching implications to the industry due to the heavy penalties imposed to sources, publishers and funders; plus its capacity to force media organisations to remove articles through ex-parte applications. Though the target of the Bill is those who create fake news, media organisations would likely also be stifled."
The bill is likely to be passed since the ruling party has a majority in the lower house of parliament.
