Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said. – Bernama file photo
KUALA LUMPUR: The draft on the law to curb false news is expected to be tabled to the cabinet after the Chinese New Year (CNY), said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
She said through a series of discussions held with interested parties, among matters highlighted were on the definition of false news, the agency that would be responsible to evaluate false or true news, as well as on the need to evaluate whether a comment is general comment or with malicious intent.
“We have already drafted the act and it’s up to the cabinet to evaluate the law they want in our country. This is for the benefit of all, including people who are popular, not for the benefit of the government leadership. So, it has to be discussed with an open mind,” she told a media conference after opening a seminar and special discussion on the direction of the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK) here yesterday.
Earlier, she chaired thethird meeting of the Special Committee on the Proposed Law to Curb False News, which was also attended by representatives from non-governmental organisations, the media, local community leaders and law agencies.
Last January, Azalina said the government would form a special committee to study the formulation of a law to curb false news in the country.
Prior to this, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the formulation of the law was necessary because the people could be instigated to hate the government or commit something like uprisings due to the influence of fake news.
Earlier, Azalina, in her speech when opening the seminar and special discussion on the direction of YBGK, said the foundation had handled 846,905 cases since it began operation in 2012 until December last year, with an average of more than 10,000 cases a month.
She said the statistics showed that YBGK was accepted by the society in providing legal aid service to those who cannot afford to pay fees in both civil and syariah cases.
Azalina said the foundation now had a panel of 2,332 lawyers. — Bernama