He was commenting on PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s statement that the party’s MPs had backed the recently tabled Anti-Fake News Bill 2018 in Parliament the same way it had backed the Internal Security Act (ISA) in 1957.
Lim said PAS’ members were themselves victims of the now-repealed ISA and they too might become victims of the fake news law.
He reminded PAS that ISA was used against the opposition, despite it being originally enacted to fight the communist insurgency in the late 1950s.
“I am really shocked with PAS’ excuse. How can you support the Anti-Fake News Bill the same way you supported the ISA when many PAS leaders were caught under the ISA?
“Despite knowing they might be victims of the new law, they fail to see that it will be used as a tool to curtail opposition members, the same way ISA was used,” he said at a press conference in Komtar today.
Hadi told Harakah daily that the new bill would “correct the morals of the mass media” in disseminating information to the public.
He said PAS had supported the ISA as the country was facing the communist insurgency at the time.
Hadi also said the party was obliged to back the bill as Muslims should submit to ta’zir, referring to punishment for offences at the discretion of a judge.
He said although the law might be abused, it could also educate the public on fake news in a positive way.