The Malaysian Insight

THE opposition is only delaying the inevitable by slamming the brakes on the abolition of the Anti-Fake News Act in the Dewan Negara, said Mohamed Hanipa Maidin.

The deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said the bill would be re-tabled in the the Dewan Rakyat, and then sent directly to the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong for his consent.

He said the government had one year to re-table the bill in the lower house and go through the process to scrap it.

“We knew from day one that Barisan Nasional senators would outnumber Pakatan Harapan senators, but under the present law, Article 68, the Senate cannot reject, in the sense that they cannot totally reject it.

“What they can do is delay it. Today, they rejected it, but the bill has to go back to the Dewan Rakyat, and after that, directly to the Agong,” Hanipa said during a press conference at Parliament today, after BN and PAS senators voted to keep the Anti-Fake News Act.

The BN senators called for a ballot, and at the end, Dewan Negara president S.A. Vigenswaran said 21 senators supported the repeal of the bill, 28 were against it and three abstained from voting.

Hanipah said the vote today was simply to “embarrass” the PH government.

He said while the law was still in effect, the authorities would likely not use it.

“The law is still enforceable. Whether police want to use it, I leave it to them. PH’s stand is, we don’t like this law, and that’s why we want to abolish it.

“I don’t think the PH government wants to take action against anybody under this law. Of course, it is subject to the attorney-general’s decision, but I don’t think the A-G will.”

PH Senator Yusmadi Yusoff said the rejection of bills in the Dewan Negara would continue till next year, until new senators were appointed.

The PKR lawmaker said today’s result showed that democracy was alive in Malaysia.

“I congratulate the people of Malaysia because democracy is not only with the governing body, but the voices that debate issues,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

The Dewan Negara has 68 members, of which 28 are from BN, PAS (3), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (3), Gerakan (2) and All Malaysian Indian Progressive Front (1). There are also three senators representing the Siamese community, Orang Asli and disabled people.

The Dewan Rakyat repealed the Anti-Fake News Act on August 16. – September 12, 2018.