‘Cabinet yet to discuss anti-fake news law’
CYBERJAYA: The proposed law to curb fake news has yet to be discussed at the cabinet level, says Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak.
He said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said was gathering feedback from the stakeholders on the proposal to draft the law on fake news.
“The matter has not been discussed at cabinet level yet. Azalina is the chairman of the special committee formed to look into laws to curb fake news.
“I was told that she has met with relevant parties to get their feedback.
“We have determined that before this issue is brought to the cabinet, Azalina should meet the stakeholders to get their opinions,” he said after launching the Sebenarnya.my mobile application here yesterday.
On Jan 30, a special committee was set up to study a new law to stop the spread of fake news that may threaten the political stability of the country as well as undermine public order and national security.
In January, the committee had its first meeting, which was also joined by representatives from the police, Attorney-General’s Chambers, National Security Council, Communications and Multimedia Commission, Communications and Multimedia Ministry and Legal Affairs Division.
Salleh said information verification portal Sebenarnya.my had received 25 million hits or on average two million hits per month since it was launched last year.
Salleh said analysis on Sebenarnya.my showed an average increase of 10 per cent per quarter in total hits.
“Fake news is the enemy of any country. It is deemed psychological warfare, which is aimed at deceiving people to believe viral false news.
“Other countries are also facing the same issue. For instance, in Europe, the spread of fake news has become a serious problem, especially in Germany and France, which led the European Union to form a task force to address the issue.
“So, it is important to verify news. This can be done by checking on its writer, whether the information is based on fact or otherwise, and comparing it with other credible sources.”
The Sebenarnya.my mobile app can be downloaded via Google Play Store for free.