TI said there were enough laws to handle this issue and instead urged the government to consider a “Freedom of Information Act” to ensure press freedom and to replace the Official Secrets Act (OSA.).

“There is already a plethora of laws to deal with such misconduct and if anything, based on our current environment and recent events, the feeling is that there is a propensity to silence and persecute those who speak the truth and those who blow the whistle on wrongdoers,” its president, Muhammad Mohan, said in a statement.

Effective yesterday, those who create, publish or distribute fake news will face a fine of up to RM100,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both, under the Emergency (Essential Powers) (No. 2) Ordinance 2021.

On his proposal for the new act to replace the OSA, Muhammad said it should be done through public engagement as well as consultation.

He said the government must do more to improve Malaysia’s score on TI’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI), in which the country dropped by two points this year.

The country scored 51 out of 100 in the latest report, ranking Malaysia as 57th in the world, compared to 51st previously. It fell behind Saudi Arabia, Mauritius and Italy.

“The yearly CPI takes into consideration not only corruption but human rights abuse, transparency in the administration, freedom of information, effective prosecution of corrupt officials and other factors,” said Muhammad, adding that these were “essential elements” for democracy.