KUALA LUMPUR – A total of 30 investigation papers on the spread of fake news relating to Covid-19 were opened between March 12 and October 7 this year.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the probes were opened throughout the enforcement of the Emergency (Essential Powers) (No. 2) Ordinance 2021 (EO).
“The investigations were opened under Section 4(1) of the ordinance for enforcement of individuals or parties found to have uploaded or spread misinformation on Covid-19 and the emergency proclamation.”
On the effects and implications, Wan Junaidi said the revocation of emergency ordinances would not affect actions on related offences that occurred throughout the period, or “without prejudice to anything previously done by virtue thereof”.
“The repeal of EO does not prevent cases under investigation and court proceedings against offences committed during the emergency ordinance,” he said.
“(The court proceedings) will proceed even after this ordinance is repealed, provided the offence occurred while EO was in force,” Wan Junaidi said during his speech in the second reading of the Dewan Rakyat’s debate on the annulment of emergency ordinances this afternoon.
He said the ordinance was gazetted on March 11 and came into force on March 12 this year.
The objective of the ordinance was to prevent the spread of fake news on Covid-19 and the emergency proclamation for the sake of public interest and security.
Wan Junaidi said the ordinance would allow enforcement and investigation efforts to be expedited, while also ensuring the people received verified and accurate information.
“The emergency ordinance provides an alternative for police officers or other enforces to direct any person with possession, custody, or control of any publication containing fake news to remove the publication within 24 hours in order to expedite the process of removing such false news without going through the court process,” he said.
“Any person who does not comply with the directive within 24 hours will be committing an offence under Subsection 6(2) of the emergency ordinance.” – The Vibes, October 25, 2021
