Malaysian 'Fake News' Law Claims Its First Victim
from the badmouthing-law-enforcement?-that's-a-jailin' dept
The Malaysian government got a jump on the rest of the world by being the first to actually enact a "fake news" law. The government had several hundred million good reasons to do so, most them residing in the prime minister's bank account. Lawmakers cited concern for the public's well-being, but critics noted the law was just an efficient way for the government to shut down reporting it doesn't like.
The nation's Ministry of Truth (a.k.a., the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission) cited free speech champion Donald Trump as the inspiration for this new censorship tool.
“Fake news has become a global phenomenon, but Malaysia is at the tip of the spear in trying to fight it with an anti-fake news law,” said Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek, a senior official with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. “When the American president made ‘fake news’ into a buzzword, the world woke up.”
The law has already rung up its first arrest for "fake news." And it's someone who's not even a Malaysian citizen.
Salah Salem Saleh Sulaiman seems like an improbable purveyor of “fake news.”
He doesn't run a troll farm or a website designed to spread propaganda. He's not on a mission to destroy a politician or artist. He's not even a journalist.
But this week, he was sentenced to a week in jail for a YouTube video he made, the first casualty of Malaysia's “fake news” law.
[...]
Sulaiman, a Danish citizen of Yemeni descent, said he'd been in Malaysia for less than two weeks when he was arrested.
The video that resulted in a one-week jail sentence dealt with the shooting of a Hamas lecturer, supposedly by Israel's spy agency. Sulaiman claimed it took an hour for an ambulance to arrive after he reported the shooting. The police claimed it only took them eight minutes for a patrol car to arrive. Two days after the video was posted, Sulaiman was arrested and charged with publishing "fake news." His inability to pay a $2,500 fine has increased his sentence to one month.
There's a difference between a police car and an ambulance, which may make the video technically correct. But that really shouldn't matter. Even if his claims were false, there's no way the government should have reacted with anything more than a statement denying Sulaiman's claims. The new law allows the government to arrest and fine anyone who publishes anything the government disagrees with. Six months in jail and fines up to $128,000 are one hell of a chilling effect. All the government seemingly needs to do to make charges stick is deny allegations made by citizens -- or in this case, a nonresident visitor who claims he did not know the government had recently outlawed 'fake news."
Those concerned about the state of speech protections around the world will view this as severely troubling. Those who actually have the power and desire to further restrict criticism and unfavorable reporting will see nothing but upsides for enacting legislation targeting "fake news."
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Filed Under: censorship, criticism, fake news, malaysia, police, salah salem saleh sulaiman
Reader Comments
The First Word
“https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/03/malaysia-opposition-leader-investigated-under-fake- news-laws
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So, he didn't say anything that contradicted their claim at all? Wow. It's one thing to be posting information that contradicts "official" versions of events, quite another to be faced with penalties for something that's only tangentially related to it.
“When the American president made ‘fake news’ into a buzzword, the world woke up.”
No, when it was indicated that the US and Brexit elections may well have been swung by outright disinformation, often spearheaded by foreign agents, the world woke up. The term meant something at the time.
The orange muppet misapplying the word to everything he didn't like during his 3am Twitter rants is probably where you got involved, so you're probably not even aware of what it means. Which, I suppose, explains this case.
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Doesn't make this any less ridiculous or scary for the people of Malaysia, just a little (very little) less outlandish.
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Really? Thats the name?
Do they have a silly walk?
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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/may/03/malaysia-opposition-leader-investigated-under-fake- news-laws
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An there it actually is.
Has anyone here been fooled by fake news?
If so what and where?
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Re: Re: Fake News
Here you go: Vengeful ex-girlfriend extracts all ex-boyfriend's teeth. See the Daily Mail for more fake news.
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If so what and where?"
Donald Trump, for starters.
https://www.snopes.com/news/2017/11/30/trump-britain-first-videos-context/
https://www.thegu ardian.com/environment/climate-consensus-97-per-cent/2017/may/22/trumps-fox-news-deputy-national-sec urity-advisor-fooled-him-with-climate-fake-news
Not exactly a high bar, but he has millions of idiots like him around the globe who believe whatever they're told. And they vote. There are many thousands more examples.
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Saber rattling
It's not much, but if enough nations that contribute to the prosperity of Malaysia do it, they'll get the message.
Seems like this is the "catch all" "get out of jail free" law for the government to arrest and/or fine anyone it feels like since it appears that THEIR version of the facts always triumph.
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I'm going to assume...
Simply because, if these anti-fake-news governments could refute allegations with evidence, they have no need to use force.
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Turns out, the real story was not that police feared to tread in Islamic claimed areas. The actual story was that a random Imam put up flyers "claiming" an area... which were promptly removed a few hours later by the local council. The story was literally "guy put up posters which were taken down", and presented as Shariah takeover by the gutter press. But, the idiot I was arguing with couldn't accept that the article had lied to him, even though the proof was in the very same article.
I always find that rather memorable, and a reminder that some peoples' world-views are being shaped by outright lies that bear no resemblance to reality. I have no fear of most of the things these outlets try to peddle, but I have very real fears of their mindless fans.
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Re: Saber rattling
Why would they do that? Trump is probably pushing to find a way to have the same laws over there as we speak. Pesky constitution, separation of powers, etc.
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Re: Saber rattling
Heh. Before or after Trump's inevitable Twitter rant about the great job Malaysia is doing and how the US needs a law like that to combat the fake news the enemies of the American people -- i.e., New York Times, Washington Post, CNN -- keep publishing?
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(The upshot: Someone pointed out that there were similar Jewish arbitration panels recognized by the Ontario government. Canadians went "Wait.... what?" and those were shut down.)
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Re: Saber rattling
As if they are not doing any of this already.
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We had 50 years of Mutual Assured Destruction with Russia. Now there's a new arrangement.
China and Russia were known for totalitarian communism, while in the US it was democracy, capitalism and citizens' rights.
They've apparently agreed to meet half-way at authoritarian capitalism.
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Recently, these captains of corruption have become rather complacent in their cover ups and as a result are in need of relief from scrutiny. Not sure why, because according to them they are exempt from the law. Perhaps they are showing their vanity? Hahahaha - they are concerned about how they look to the unwashed masses? I doubt it, more like it is a silly contest amongst themselves to see who is the biggest piece of shit anywhere.
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and not being hoodwinked by a staff member:
Four years later, McFarland put the fake document in Trump’s hands, and he reportedly “quickly got lathered up about the media’s hypocrisy … Staff chased down the truth and intervened before Trump tweeted or talked publicly about it”.
I wouldn't call that fake news. Thats being lied to from someone you trust. ( No Trump supporter here.)
I mean the average Joe. I mean at least... a third of the populace.
I mean it being so bad that laws need to be enacted. Not some fringe idiots that the MSM latches onto to make the appearance of a problem.
"Not exactly a high bar, but he has millions of idiots like him around the globe who believe whatever they're told. And they vote. There are many thousands more examples."
But not enough to the point of action is the point.
"he has millions of idiots like him"
Yeah and some are not. The Amish community supported him for some odd reason.
"And they vote."
Like that matters? Didn't Hills win the popular vote? (A whole other can of worms for this country.)
I am looking for the "problem" with "fake news" Seems to me if it opposes the Current and most likely any future administration, it is fake news, but when it comes from them it's supposed to be taken at face value. Let's just call it what it is from either side... Propaganda.
I'd still like to see something posted as confirmed fake news and where it comes from.
Mind you I do not do social media except for YT. No tweets, no Books, no Tinders. Nothing. I chalk it off to one of the benefits of being paranoid. :)
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People don't have to be normal to affect you by voting, etc. Huge amount of time and effort have been spent clearing up spam and the effects of such scams, etc., even though only a portion of the dumber 1% of the population would ever fall for them.
"Thats being lied to from someone you trust."
Assuming McFarland knew it was a fake himself...
Either way, fake news is really the same thing as that, only the "person you trust" is a news organisation rather than an individual human being. If you ,for whatever insane reason, have decided you'll trust the Daily Mail for your news input, you're more likely to believe their outright fabrications than those from a reputable source.
"Like that matters? Didn't Hills win the popular vote?"
Yup. But, the EC system just means that the fake news had to fool less people since the ones not targeted (or could spot the fakes a mile off) weren't having the votes counted the same. That makes it *more* of a problem not less. It means you can't just laugh off the stuff that's obviously lying, since the ones dumb enough to believe the obvious lies still have the same vote as you do - and are usually more motivated to vote because they've been riled up by said lies, which calm intelligent people aren't motivated enough by what's happening in reality.
"I'd still like to see something posted as confirmed fake news and where it comes from."
Snopes is full of examples, as are other sites.
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"Did you punch that person?" "Of course I didn't kick them!"
So, he didn't say anything that contradicted their claim at all? Wow. It's one thing to be posting information that contradicts "official" versions of events, quite another to be faced with penalties for something that's only tangentially related to it.
The ambulance/police car thing struck me as an attempt to dodge the accusation by shifting it. He said that the ambulance took an hour to show up. They responded by pointing out that a police car showed up in a matter of minutes.
They didn't actual rebut to the accusation(which by it self basically confirms it), instead they ignored it and answered an accusation that he didn't make.
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LMAO
How many people have opinions, raise your hands..
How many of you DONT agree on everyone Else's Opinion..Raise your hand..
(I didnt see any hands so I must be right)
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Re: said that the world is run by Jews
Was that meant to be a bad thing?
It’s not Jews I’m worried about, it’s Zionists. But as long as there are non-Zionist Jews, I think there is hope.
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