This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on March 30, 2018

KUALA LUMPUR: In a change of plans, voting on the Anti-Fake News Bill 2018 which was due to be held yesterday has been postponed until Monday.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said moved a motion at 5.30pm yesterday for the Dewan Rakyat sitting to be adjourned.

This was in contrast with her earlier motion requesting that yesterday’s sitting continue until the bill, which had been tabled on Monday, was endorsed by the House.

Azalina interrupted Bagan Serai member of parliament (MP) Datuk Dr Noor Azmi Ghazal, who was debating the bill, to introduce the adjournment motion.

Earlier, at the second reading of the controversial bill, Azalina told the House that the maximum jail time proposed under the bill had been amended from 10 years to six years. The maximum fine remains at RM500,000.

The government would also change the word “knowingly” in Clause 4 of the bill to “maliciously”.

Before the amendment, Clause 4(1) of the Bill reads as below:

“Any person who, by any means, knowingly creates, offers, publishes, prints, distributes, circulates or disseminates any fake news or publication containing fake news commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding RM500,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or both, and in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding RM3,000 for every day during which the offence continues after conviction.”

The bill has been criticised by civil society groups, lawyers and opposition leaders.