Anti-Fake News Act repealed

KUALA LUMPUR: Four months after being gazetted as a law under the previous Barisan Nasional administration, the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 was repealed by the Dewan Rakyat.

The repeal took effect after the lower house passed the AntiFake News Act (Repeal) 2018 on the last day of the first 14th Parliament meeting.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohamed Hanipa Maidin said the act was repealed because there were laws and acts to prosecute any party found guilty of disseminating fake news.

He said the government would strengthen investigative and enforcement agencies to curb fake news.

“The abolition of the act is in line with the Pakatan Harapan manifesto, which pledged to abolish the law,” he said in his winding-up speech in the Dewan Rakyat here yesterday.

The Anti-Fake News Act 2018 was tabled on March 27 and approved on April 2. It carries a punishment of up to six years’ jail and a fine of up to RM500,000.

Hanipa said the temporary order in the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 was found in the Criminal Procedure Code.

He said the act was “repeating” many rules in other laws and “that is why we abolished the act”.

Earlier, BN and Pas members of parliament argued for the law to be retained.

Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (Pas-Kubang Kerian) urged for the law to be retained and that repealing it should not be the focus. Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (BN-Pengerang) demanded proof of the act being misused.

“The act was created because of social media. Social media can cause discontent the world over.”

She said the law was needed as other laws, such as the Penal Code and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, could not manage social media-related cases.