ASIA / PACIFIC
April 16, 2018
Malaysia approves law banning
fake news ahead of elections
KUALA
LUMPUR,
Malaysia
(AP) — Malaysia’s parliament has
passed a law prohibiting fake news
that critics fear will be abused to
silence dissent ahead of a general
election.
Despite warnings such a law would
lead Malaysia closer to dictatorship,
the bill was approved 123 to 64 after a
heated debate. The bill originally pro-
posed a 10-year jail term and a fine of
up to 500,000 ringgit ($128,000) for
offenders,
but
the
approved
legislation sets the maximum prison
sentence at six years.
Rights activists say the law
appears aimed at shutting down
discussion of a multibillion-dollar
financial scandal involving Prime
Minister Najib Razak, who is widely
expected to call for national elections
in the next few days.
They also fear the bill, which
covers all media and extends even to
foreigners outside Malaysia, could be
used against critics of gerryman-
dering or other aspects of the
electoral process after parliament
swiftly approved controversial new
constituency boundaries for the
elections, which are due in August
but widely expected soon.
“The existing laws are sufficient,
why do we need one more act? This
will see one step forward to
dictatorship, this is more than
autocracy,” opposition lawmaker Lim
Guan Eng told parliament.
Azalina Othman, minister in
charge of law, said social media such
as Twitter and Facebook have
acknowledged they are unable to
monitor fake news on their platforms.
She said the bill gives power to the
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MEDIA MUZZLE? Commuters use their mobile phones inside a train with an advertisement dis-
couraging the dissemination of fake news in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Malaysia’s government has
cut the proposed punishment for fake news offenders from 10 years to six years in prison following
an outcry from rights groups and opposition lawmakers who say the bill aims to silence dissent
ahead of a general election. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
court, not the government, to decide
what is fake news.
“No one is above the law. We are all
accountable for our actions,” she said.
Government officials have accused
the opposition coalition of using fake
news to win votes and warned that
any news about the indebted 1MDB
state fund that has not been verified
by the government is fake.
The U.S. and several other
countries are investigating allega-
tions of cross-border embezzlement
and money laundering at 1MDB,
which was set up and previously led
by Najib to promote economic
development, but which accumulated
billions in debt. The U.S. Justice
Department says at least $4.5 billion
was stolen from 1MDB by associates
of Najib, and it is working to seize
$1.7 billion taken from the fund to
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buy assets in the U.S., potentially its
largest asset seizure ever.
Najib, who denies any wrongdoing,
has fired critics in his government
and muzzled the media since the
corruption scandal erupted three
years ago.
Support for Najib’s ruling coalition
has dwindled in the last two
elections. In 2013, it lost the popular
vote for the first time to the
opposition. Yet analysts say Najib is
expected to win a third term due to
infighting in the opposition, the
unfavorable
electoral
boundary
changes and strong support for the
government among rural ethnic
Malays.
Other Southeast Asian countries,
including
Singapore
and
the
Philippines, have also proposed laws
to clamp down on fake news.
Strong storm damages minarets at gates of Taj Mahal
LUCKNOW, India (AP) — A
powerful storm toppled two minarets
at the entry gates of the famed Taj
Mahal in northern India, but no
damage was done to the white marble
main building, an official said.
Bhubanesh Kumar, an official of
the Archaeological Survey of India,
said the damage was minor and will
be repaired by experts.
He said winds during the storm
reached 80 miles per hour.
One of the damaged minarets was
a 12-foot pillar at the main gate. The
other was a smaller pillar at the
southern gate used by visitors to
reach the monument.
The 17th-century Taj Mahal
attracts between 7 million and 8
million visitors per year. It was built
by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in
memory of his wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
It is located in Agra, 130 miles south
of New Delhi.
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DAMAGED MINARETS. Tourists walk past debris after a powerful storm toppled two minarets
at the entry gates of the famed Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Bhubanesh Kumar, an official of the Archae-
ological Survey of India, said the damage was minor and will be repaired by experts. (AP Photo/
Pawan Sharma)
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