The Malaysian Parliament is expected to vote this week on a bill that would impose heavy fines and up to 10 years in jail on any online or print publication, including foreign press outlets, that report “fake news” stories.
The Anti-Fake News 2018 bill would fine offenders up to 500,000 ringgit or $128,140, 10 years in prison, or both.
The legislation was scheduled to get a vote Monday, but Prime Minister Najib Razak’s administration tabled it for later in the week.
The proposed bill defines fake news as “news, information, data, and reports which is or are wholly or partly false.” Stories would not be limited to hard news, but also include feature pieces, graphics and audio recordings, such as podcasts and radio.
“The proposed Act seeks to safeguard the public against the proliferation of fake news whilst ensuring the right to freedom of speech and expression under the Federal Constitution is respected,” the government wrote in the bill.
The U.S. press would not be exempt from the potential law if stories about Malaysia as a whole or a Malaysian citizen were found to be untrue.
The prime minister’s party has a majority in Parliament.
Some lawmakers have opposed the bill, saying the government already has significant control over free speech and the media.
Lawmakers in Singapore and the Philippines have also introduced bills to crack down on fake news, a term President Trump used heavily throughout his 2016 campaign and tweeted again on Monday.
