Surendran: Probe on Tun M shows how anti-fake news law can be abused

PETALING JAYA: PKR's N. Surendran (pix) today questioned how Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad could be investigated by the police for violating the Anti-Fake News law.
The PKR central executive committee member said the investigation on the former prime minister had revealed how the Anti-Fake News Act could be abused.
"It is plainly against the public interest to label a complaint on a serious matter as 'fake news'; and then investigate the complainant himself," he said in a statement today.
"What sort of message does that send to the general public?"
He added that the effect of such an investigation would be to discourage the public from lodging complaints for fear that they could also be investigated under the same law.
He questioned if simply making a complaint, even if eventually disproved, should be considered fake news.
The investigation was initiated over Mahathir's claim that the plane that was supposed to be used to fly him to Langkawi last Friday was sabotaged.