The world’s first Anti-Fake News Act has come into force in Malaysia on Wednesday, after receiving the Royal Assent on April 9 and gazetted two days later.

Although the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman denied that enforcement of the Anti-Fake News was a strategy for the government to win the 14th General Election (GE14), arguing that it is a law to protect the people in general, the test of the pudding is in the eating.

In today’s UMNO daily, Utusan Malaysia, the “turtle egg” UMNO Minister disseminated the fake news that every vote for the DAP is akin to give power to the Pakatan Harapan (PH) pact to eliminate Malay special rights and the uniqueness of Islam.

These are lies and fake news because all Pakatan Harapan basic documents, including Pakatan Harapan 14th General Election Manifesto, had been most clear and specific in giving unconditional support to Article 153 on Malay special rights and Article 3 on Islam as the official religion of the Federation.

Will the “turtle egg” UMNO Minister and the UMNO print media, Utusan Malaysia, be arrested and charged under the Anti-Fake News Acf concocting and peddling lies and fake news that Malay Special Rights and the uniqueness of Islam would be eliminated in Malasia, if the Pakatan Harapan coalition wins in the 14GE?

In the past six decades, instead of a more united, harmonious, progressive and prosperous Malaysia, we see Malaysia falling behind more and more countries in various fields of human endeavor.

What is worse, there are people who are trying to put back the clock of Malaysian nation-building by sowing distrust, hatred and animosity instead of fostering greater tolerance, harmony and unity in multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural Malaysia.

The “turtle-egg” UMNO Minister is one such character, who is trying to frame the 14th GE as a battle between Malays and Chinese as well as between Islam and enemies of Islam, when it is in fact a battle between Najib and UMNO kleptocrats agaisnt the people of Malaysia.

The 14th General Election is a battle between Malaysians to want to save Malaysia from a kleptocracy ending up as a failed and rogue state and Malaysians who do not care whether Malaysia is the international laughing-stock because we have become a global kleptocracy as a result of the multi-billion dollar international 1MDB money laundering scandal.

Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, deserve support if they stand up for a democratic Malaysia which upholds the principles of accountability and good governance; while Malaysians, regardless of race or religion, should be rejected if they stand for or defend Malaysia as a kleptocracy.

There are those who are trying to prevent the 14th General Election from producing the results of a national change of Federal Government in Putrajaya by the politics of lies, fear and hatred and falsely framing the next general election as a battle between the Malays and Chinese as well as between Islam and the enemies of Islam.

This is most irresponsible and dangerous, and if unchecked, could spark off chaos and conflagration in Malaysia.

Will the “turtle-egg” UMNO Minister be arrested and charged under the Anti-Fake News Act to save Malaysaia from political desperades who are prepared to risk Malaysia’s peace, harmony and tolerance in a multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural society in pursuit of their seflish ends?

(Media Statement Kuala Lumpur on Friday, 13th April 2018)