He said Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said had on Monday met tech giants such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, YouTube as well as Asia Internet Coalition to discuss the Fake News Bill that the government plans to table in the Dewan Rakyat.
The DAP parliamentary leader said the minister’s meeting with the tech giants was supposedly to ensure that the Fake News Bill will be comprehensive and cover all aspects.
“If so, why has Azalina not honoured her undertaking that the Fake News Bill will be formulated by a special committee involving MPs from Barisan Nasional and the federal opposition?” he said at the Dewan Rakyat media centre.
Lim, who is also Gelang Patah MP, then cited the warning on Sunday from Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Jailani Johari that action would be taken against “fake news” pertaining to state-owned investment fund 1MDB.
“Can Azalina explain this threat from the deputy minister?”
On Feb 4, Bernama reported Azalina as saying the stakeholders would include members of non-governmental organisations, lawyers, lecturers as well as MPs from Barisan Nasional and the opposition.
The opposition has claimed that the Fake News Bill will be tabled at the Dewan Rakyat during the current sitting, which is the last before the general election must be called.
Special committee to draft law on fake news holds first meeting