• About Us
  • Who Are We
  • Work With Us
Saturday, June 3, 2023
No Result
View All Result
NEWSLETTER
The Globe Post
39 °f
New York
44 ° Fri
46 ° Sat
40 ° Sun
41 ° Mon
No Result
View All Result
The Globe Post
No Result
View All Result
Home Democracy at Risk Media Freedom

Malaysia Repeals Controversial Fake News Law

Staff Writer by Staff Writer
08/16/18
in Media Freedom
Malaysian authorities are pushing against "fake news."

A commuter walks past an advertisement reading "Sharing a lie makes you a liar" at a train station in Kuala Lumpur as the government introduces a bill to combat "fake news." Photo: AFP

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Malaysia’s parliament repealed a controversial law on Thursday that punished spreading “fake news” with up to six years in jail and which critics said was aimed at stifling dissent.

The legislation was pushed through in April by the former, scandal-tainted regime in the run-up to a hotly contested general election, sparking a storm of anger.

CPJ welcomes repeal of #Malaysia's "fake news" law https://t.co/3YbB5E3sEO

— Committee to Protect Journalists (@pressfreedom) August 16, 2018

Political opponents said the law was a crude tool aimed at silencing criticism of the then government and its leader Najib Razak, particularly over the corruption mega-scandal surrounding sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.

As well as hefty jail terms, the legislation punished the dissemination of what authorities deemed fake news with a fine of up to 500,000 ringgit ($120,000).

However, Najib and his long-ruling coalition unexpectedly lost power at the landmark elections in May, bringing to power a reformist alliance which had campaigned on a pledge to abolish the law.

Making good on that promise, lawmakers voted in favor of repealing the fake news law on Thursday after a three-hour debate.

Charles Santiago, an MP from the ruling Pact of Hope coalition, told AFP the move was part of the new government’s “commitment to take away all legislation that impinges on human rights and freedom of expression.”

Teddy Baguilat, a member of a Southeast Asian grouping of MPs who fight for better human rights, praised the move as “a huge step forward.”

“This is a law that was clearly designed to silence criticism of the authorities and to quell public debate — it should never have been allowed to pass in the first place.”

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who ousted Najib at the polls, was investigated for allegedly spreading fake news days ahead of the election. He was an opposition leader at the time.

Malaysia is one of several countries in Asia that have turned to such legislation, emboldened by U.S. President Donald Trump‘s fulminations against “fake news”, but activists warn authoritarian regimes will use the laws to target opponents.

Trump’s Attacks on Media Hurting Press Freedoms Around the World

Share2Tweet
Staff Writer

Staff Writer

AFP with The Globe Post

Related Posts

A flooded road in Batu Berendam in Malaysia's southern coastal state of Malacca
Environment

At Least Four Dead, Tens of Thousands Evacuated in Malaysia Floods

by Staff Writer
March 6, 2023
Pedestrians wait to cross a street in Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur on October 7, 2020.
Democracy at Risk

Malaysia Declares Virus Emergency, Suspends Parliament

by Staff Writer
January 12, 2021
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo
Media Freedom

Fake News Punishable by Years in Prison Under Proposed Nicaraguan Law

by Staff Writer
September 29, 2020
A Chinese Twitter user's app store
World

Russian, Chinese Media Target Europeans With COVID-19 Fake News: Study

by Alexandra Marquez
October 20, 2020
Do the Riots in Minneapolis Forebode Greater Civil Unrest for the US?
National

US Protests Over Floyd’s Killing a ‘Perfect Storm’ for False Info

by Staff Writer
June 5, 2020
Malaysia's previous Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
Opinion

Malaysia’s Power Struggle: How Did We Get Here?

by Jason P. Abbott
March 6, 2020
Next Post
US President Donald Trump making a phone call.

Trump Colluded With Russia, ex-CIA Director Brennan Says

Paul Manafort leaving a court

Jury Begins Deliberations in Manafort Trial

Recommended

A man holds US, Taiwan flags

US and Taiwan Ink Trade Deal as China Issues Warning

June 2, 2023
Migrants waiting at the Turkish border.

Beyond Numbers: Confronting Europe’s Broken Border System

May 30, 2023
A noose is seen on makeshift gallows as supporters of US President Donald Trump gather on the West side of the US Capitol in Washington DC on January 6, 2021

Militia Leader Gets 18 Years in Prison Over US Capitol Attack

May 26, 2023
Customers queue to enter a re-opened Zara clothes shop

EU Targets Fast Fashion in Push for Durable Goods

May 23, 2023
A billboard showing the debt limit is seen in Washington, D.C.

US Republicans Upbeat on Prospects for Debt Deal

May 19, 2023
Military hardware rolls through Dvortsovaya Square during a Victory Day military parade in central Saint Petersburg

Pressing Russia, US Shares Nuclear Warhead Data Under Treaty

May 16, 2023

Opinion

Migrants waiting at the Turkish border.

Beyond Numbers: Confronting Europe’s Broken Border System

May 30, 2023
A man holding a gun

The NRA’s Continuing Agenda of Fear

May 12, 2023
US Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas

A Supreme Folly 

April 24, 2023
Transgender Army veteran Tanya Walker speaks to protesters in Times Square near a military recruitment centre

Tennessee Is A Drag on the First Amendment

March 26, 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping

China’s Path to Economic Dominance

March 15, 2023
An earthquake survivor reacts as rescuers look for victims and other survivors in Hatay, a Turkish province where hundreds of buildings were destroyed by the earthquake

Heed the Call of Our Broken World

March 1, 2023
Facebook Twitter

Newsletter

Do you like our reporting?
SUBSCRIBE

About Us

The Globe Post

The Globe Post is part of Globe Post Media, a U.S. digital news organization that is publishing the world's best targeted news sites.

submit oped

© 2018 The Globe Post

No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • World
  • Business
  • Interviews
  • Lifestyle
  • Democracy at Risk
    • Media Freedom
  • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Columns
    • Book Reviews
    • Stage
  • Submit Op-ed

© 2018 The Globe Post