Johor Bahru: Legal action awaits anyone found guilty of disseminating fake information, not just during the 14th General Election (GE14), but also after.
Deputy Home Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said, police will act swiftly on such cases.
He advised the public to exercise caution when sharing information or fake news via social media platforms.
“I advise the public to be careful when using social media, especially with GE14 around the corner, in order to spread fake news and sow discontent among the rakyat.
“These people who disseminate fake news are the ones who hide behind a cloak of anonymity, but they will not escape police action, even after the elections are over,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after officiating the Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Cempaka Parent-Teacher Association annual general meeting, here today.
Nur Jazlan, who is also Pulai Member of Parliament, had also officiated the opening of the school’s Surau Almuttaqin, and presented excellence awards to the school’s Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) top scorers.
The minister said the opposition will use last-minute tactics in disseminating fake news.
“They probably know that the government will not be able to address every single baseless accusation made in social media. Their aim is to dupe the public and compel them to hate the government.
“This has also been their tactic in the previous general elections,” he said.
He said the public should think of the future of their children, which could be affected by making the wrong choice in GE14.
“I would like everyone to understand that the person who ‘virals’ the fake news is the person liable to face action, and not the person who created the message.
“The opposition are irresponsible and after sparking anger among the public, they would then hide,” he said.