.jpg "Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah speaks during a press conference on the Emergency Ordinance in Putrajaya March 12, 2021. — Picture by Hari Anggara")
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PUTRAJAYA, March 12 — The public should not overstretch the definition of the new Emergency (Essential Powers) (No. 2) Ordinance 2021 that was gazetted yesterday to curb the sharing of ‘fake news’, Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said.
Should the definition of the Ordinance include “all sorts of things”, this would lead to all kinds of arguments, he added.
“I have looked at the criticisms made by many (parties) over the past day. It is clear that the mindset of these criticisms, firstly, did not highlight that the Ordinance is only for Covid-19 and Emergency (related issues).
“So they overstretched the argument to infer that it could encompass all kinds of things and that is why they invoked Sosma (Security Offences [Special Measures] Act 2012) lah and even the Sedition Act too was mentioned.
“People are saying that this is worse than the Sedition Act, equivalent to Sosma. Well, it is a matter of argumentation.
“So my take is that if you want to overstretch the argument, it will lead to all sorts of things,” he told reporters today during a press conference at his ministry’s headquarters here.
Saifuddin was responding to reporters’ questions regarding concerns raised by the public, Opposition politicians and several non-governmental organisations about the Ordinance that was gazetted to curb the sharing of fake news on Covid-19 and the Emergency proclamation.
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