The proposed law fuelled fears the government is seeking to intensify a crackdown before elections. Opposition MP Charles Santiago said the bill was "a powerful weapon for the government to silence dissent in the country"
ADVERTISEMENT
The Malaysian government has proposed a law to combat "fake news", which could see offenders jailed for 10 years or a fine of up to Rs 84 lakh, sparking fears authorities aim to stifle criticism as elections loom.
The proposed law fuelled fears the government is seeking to intensify a crackdown before elections. Opposition MP Charles Santiago said the bill was "a powerful weapon for the government to silence dissent in the country".
Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever