SHAH ALAM, March 8 — An academic and a member from the Opposition have questioned the very definition of fake news in light of a new law being drafted to combat the issue.

Malaysian Professors Council Chief of Cluster Governance, Legal Issues, and Public Management department Professor Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmod questioned how the distinction would be made to differentiate between slander and fake news under the new law.

“When it is slander it is slander, but sometimes fake news is not always slander.

“Sometimes fake news does not affect anyone, and is just inaccurate,” he said.

Nik Ahmad Kamal explained that a statement would be considered slanderous if the remark that was spread to the masses involved a third party and caused damage to that person’s reputation.

“To take care of fake news, I feel it is hard to make a specific law for it.

“The media will be under pressure, as they have to be careful every time they want

to report, to make sure it is not deemed as fake news,” he said.

PKR Communications Director Fahmi Fadzil also questioned how the distinction in difference between the two would be made.

“For example the term fake news was used a lot during the US election campaigning process.

“In that context, fake news was used by someone in politics against those supposedly spreading slander about him which was passed off as real news.

“The situation here is not so similar,” he said.  

Fahmi and Nik Ahmad Kamal both said current laws under the constitution were sufficient in tackling the problem of fake news.

“I have been skeptical about making a law just for fake news as it affects too many people.

“Sometimes even my mother gets all sorts of information and shares it, so to me there are many parts that needs to be discussed when making the law,” said Fahmi.

Nik Ahmad Kamal weighed in by saying he also felt there were already sufficient laws currently.

“As an academic, I want to see the draft and what is defined as fake news, if it falls under other laws, I don’t see the need.

“I have a bit of apprehension towards the law to fight fake news as we have so many laws, the communications act, the printing act, and the penal code.

“We need to be sure if there is a need for the law,” he said.