Claiming that the government sought an emergency declaration because it lost its majority in the Dewan Rakyat violates the fake news ordinance, said de facto Law Minister Takiyuddin Hassan.
“It is an offence. To me, it is an offence,” Takiyuddin said at a joint press conference to explain the fake news ordinance.
He said this when asked if critics claiming that the government sought an emergency declaration because it lost its majority was considered fake news.
The ordinance makes spreading “fake news” on Covid-19 or the emergency punishable by up to RM100,000 or up to three-year imprisonments, or both.
The emergency was declared by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Jan 12 on the advice of the cabinet.
Officially, it is to help the government curb the spread of Covid-19. At the time, there were around 2,000 to 3,000 cases being reported daily.
However, critics have questioned why Parliament was also suspended under the emergency – and continues to be closed despite businesses and schools re-opening.
The declaration came two days after the Perikatan Nasional government lost majority control of the Dewan Rakyat after Umno’s Machang MP Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub withdrew support.
On the same day the emergency was declared, Umno’s Padang Rengas MP Nazri Abdul Aziz also withdrew support from the PN government.
The government has since secured the defections of two PKR MPs to make up for the support deficit after the King said Parliament can reconvene during the emergency.
So it is up to this minister from the PAS party, whose leader admitted he lied for political gain before the last election (by denying he was in a secret tryst with UMNO) to decide what is Fake News under this ‘Emergency Ordinance’?
He wants to throw into prison critics who say that Parliament was suspended because PN had lost its majority rather than because of Covid.
Is it his excuse that this would combat Covid?
The fact is, as all Malaysians know, PAS are enjoying having their snouts firmly in the Federal Government trough for the first time since independence, having been at last befriended by a failing UMNO and defectors seeking power.
They want to keep stuffing themselves with public money for as long as possible by supporting the coup coalition made up of former long-term foes – all in the name of deepest piety, of course. Covid has provided a ‘God given’ excuse to break all the democratic rules and impose a bogus state of emergency to keep in office.
As the global and local media pointed out at the time the ‘Emergency’ was called the day ‘PM8’ lost his majority of two in the Parliament, which ought to have provoked a vote of no confidence or sent him to the Agong to submit his resignation. Instead, he conspired to advise the Agong to declare a bogus ‘State of Emergency’ in order to shut down Parliament and suspend elections.
He made no secret of it and it was reported everywhere. Muhyiddin admitted the reason for the ‘Emergency’ was because he no longer commanded a majority so an election beckoned if Parliament was called:
“The main thing that is stopping me from advising the Yang di-Pertuan Agong from dissolving Parliament and pave the way for an election is the Covid-19 pandemic,”
Yet, despite the admission of the PM himself and the global reporting of the situation this minister now threatens local media he will prosecute them for Fake News if they mention it again.
The TRUTH of the situation is that in no other democracy in the world has Covid been used as an excuse to close down Parliaments, which to the contrary have been used to support genuine emergency legislation to assist in the pandemic, such as raising relief funds.
As for elections, in the US over 150 million voters cast their ballots in a campaign where the winner Joe Biden campaigned virtually and voters used mail in ballots. PN itself had just weeks before triggered an election three years early in Sabah because it suited them politically.
Malaysian politicians have all now been vaccinated and are being given special exemptions to travel round the world, yet they are not allowed to do their elected jobs. Casinos and cinemas are open but Parliament is forced shut. Only the prospect of buying more frogs has tempted talk of a possible re-opening…. re-enforcing the highly valid observation that the reason it was suspended owed to politics and not to Covid.
So, on what grounds can the law minister’s case be upheld as true and his critics false? He doesn’t care because he prefers to rely on bogus emergency legislation to lock up those who speak the truth and accuse them of Fake News. After all, he has no answers to the charge being made.
For a party that proclaims itself religious, the well heeled Mr Takiyuddin and his Mercedes driving colleagues clearly consider themselves untouchable, from either Allah’s wrath or a furious electorate. And that’s not even news.