Panel set up to ‘stop lies’
The Star
PUTRAJAYA: The Government has decided to set up a committee to stop the dissemination of false news, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.
He said if lies were allowed to be disseminated, those doing it would think what they did was right.
“All this while, the Government did not take any stern action.
“However, if this is allowed to carry on, the people would continue to be cheated,” he told reporters after chairing the ministry’s post-Cabinet meeting here.
He said that besides himself, other committee members were Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz.
“At the committee’s first meeting three days ago, we decided to set up a high-level task force comprising senior officers from enforcement agencies under the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
“The Committee also discussed several related issues including the definition for fallacious news,” he said, adding that the media would be provided with a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure they didn’t run afoul of the law.
He said a draft of the guidelines, which would have clearer rules and regulations for all media, had been handed over to the A-G’s Chambers two days ago.
Hishammuddin also said a “Balai League Table” would be launched on Wednesday to grade each police station according to its performance and achievement.
In Kota Baru, Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said the federal government should accept criticisms of its administration and not try to stifle the right to speak up.
“If the Government of the day has no answers to the questions brought up by the Opposi-tion, why bother to run the Government?” he said during the weekly religious lecture held at Dataran Ilmu along Jalan Dato Pati here yesterday.
On Thursday, PAS organ Harakah had reported that its management was trying its best to get a permit for its operations.
Harakah’s printing permit expired on Wednesday.
