Fines and Imprisonment for Covid Fake News in Malaysia

• By Joergen Haisem
• (General Dispatch) – The Malaysian government applied a new law for all false news and information about the evolution of the coronavirus in the country, which generated discomfort in different groups because freedom of expression was attacked. 

• The law will impose fines and up to 6 years in prison, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin showed more detailed information about the law “which prohibits public officials from making negative public statements or sharing or distributing any content deemed harmful to government policies or their image,” Reuters said.

• Opposition groups alleged that the government issued this new law in order to take advantage of the pandemic for political gain and further consolidate power.

• The fine is 100,000 ringgit, about $24,000, and the law also allows the police force to ask citizens for passwords and encryption codes to remove any erroneous information uploaded to the network, and additional fines will be applied in case of refusal.

• The director of the Center for Independent Journalism, Wathshlah Naidu. Complained about this measure “We anticipate more surveillance and invasions of our privacy, arbitrary censorship of critical and dissident media reports, and thus attacks on media freedom and disproportionate repression of legitimate speech.”

• Yassin implemented this measure as an “emergency” bypassing the parliament knowing that he does not have enough support from its constituent members. On the other hand, he managed to assume office after former minister Mahathir Mohammad decided to resign.

• Minister Yassin’s main concern is that he will be removed from office, and he has tried to apply measures to prolong the elections and limit the decisions of the parliament, until at least the emergency over COVID 19 is over.

Adittional Information:

Breitbart: Malaysia Imposes Law Against Coronavirus ‘Fake News’

Reuters: Malaysia defends coronavirus fake news law amid outcry