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Malaysia’s Elections and the Anti-Fake News Act
Malaysia’s Elections and the Anti-Fake News Act
CENS / Op-Eds
26 APRIL 2018
Haciyakupoglu, G. “Malaysia’s Elections and the Anti-Fake News Act”, The Diplomat, April26, 2018. https://thediplomat.com/2018/04/malaysias-elections-and-the-anti-fake-news-act/
Citation:
Gulizar Haciyakupoglu, “Malaysia’s Elections and the Anti-Fake News Act”, The Diplomat, 26 April 2018At a press conference, a person asserts that the owner of a supermarket will distribute “gifts to the first one hundred customers… every first Saturday of the month” despite knowing that the owner does not have such plans. This was an illustration given in Malaysia’s “Anti-Fake News Act” (Part II, 4(h)). Just a couple of days after the enactment of the law, this scenario was bizarrely played out, albeit with minor differences. A message claiming Johor’s Crown Prince would pay for people’s groceries at a supermarket went viral over social media. Hundreds went in anticipation.The details of this first “fake news” case following the enactment of the Act will likely unfold in the run-up to the 14th General Election (GE14). As the Act was swiftly put into force before GE14, it is apropos to take a step back and discuss the context accommodating this Act, the limitations to legal action against allegations of fake news, and the influence the Anti-Fake News Act could have on GE14, as well as in its aftermath.
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