Thursday, March 11, 2021

Fake news on Covid-19 - new laws & punishment

MM Online:

Federal Gazette: From tomorrow, those who spread fake news on Covid-19 or Emergency face RM100,000 fine, jail time



Members of the public wait to be tested for Covid-19 screening at KPJ Klang January 12, 2020. Individuals who create or publish fake news on Covid-19 or the Emergency proclamation could now face a fine of up to RM100,000 and imprisonment. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

KUALA LUMPUR, March 11 — Individuals who create or publish fake news on Covid-19 or the Emergency proclamation could now face a fine of up to RM100,000 and imprisonment from tomorrow onwards, a check of the e-Federal Gazette showed today.

This is according to the new Emergency (Essential Powers) (No. 2) Ordinance 2021 published on the Federal Gazette website.

“Any person who, by any means, with intent to cause, or which is likely to cause fear or alarm to the public, or to any section of the public, creates, offers, publishes, prints, distributes, circulates or disseminates any fake news or publication containing fake news commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand ringgit or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both.

“And in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding one thousand ringgit for every day during which the offence continues after conviction.

“This Ordinance comes into operation on March 12, 2021,” the gazette reads.

The gazettement is dated March 11.

According to the gazette, “fake news” includes any news, information, data and reports, which is or are wholly or partly false relating to Covid-19 or the proclamation of emergency, whether in the forms of features, visuals or audio recordings or in any other form capable of suggesting words or ideas.


4 comments:

  1. Just like the original Fake News Act.

    The Truth is what The Party and Chairman Moo says it is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Snarky Monsterball : I am for liberal democracy but I love fascist Trump to bits ( until he loses power, lol ). I have no problem when Trump told 30,000 pieces of lies in his four years of drunken power.

      This site is full shits like these OCBC, whose pretentiousness is so NOT funny, hehe

      Delete
  2. besides msia today n global times, where else one can find fake news?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As dictated by fart well dwelling katak!

      Delete