'IMPOSE RM500,000 FINE, 10-YEAR JAIL TERM ON FAKE NEWS OFFENDERS'
Enhancing law will better protect all, says MCMC CEO
INCREASE penalties by tenfold to deter people from spreading fake news, the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission chief executive officer Datuk Dr Mazlan Ismail said.
Mazlan said the oneyear jail term or fine of RM50,000, or both, for those convicted of spreading fake news under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 was not strong enough to deter people from repeating the offence.
“The RM50,000 fine should be increased to RM500,000, while the one-year jail term should be extended to 10 years.”
He said the purpose of enhancing the law was to protect people from threats of fake news, which were becoming a menace to society and needed to be curbed before the situation worsened.
“Those who do not run foul of the law need not worry about this.
“The new law is meant to better protect individuals, families, communities or politicians, so that they do not become victims of the spread of lies,” he said in an interview with Berita Harian.
“It’s about time we used a specific law to counter fake news, especially now where information is available at the tip of our fingers.”
He said no one would be denied their right to speak in the country as long as it did not go against the law, which allowed freedom of speech.
He said Malaysia was known for its unity, and the spread of fake news could threaten this, where even the smallest of issues could be manipulated.
“Social media or conventional and broadcast news would not be spared from action if evidence of fake news being spread is found,” he said of the proposed new law.
“Action will not be taken against publications or media practitioners if they adhere to journalism ethics or if they do not break the law.”