Malaysia Convicts for Fake News

Malaysia has recently enacted a law restricting fake news that can lead to serious consequences including fines and even prison. This may seem shocking, but Malaysia is far from the first country to enact these types of laws. Germany, France, and Singapore also have laws either in effect or pending regarding restricting the media. The first person convicted under Malaysia's new law earlier this year was a Danish citizen who posted a YouTube video claiming it took law enforcement too long to respond to a shooting. In the video, Salah Salem Saleh Sulaiman claimed that it took police over 50 minutes to respond when it actually took 8 minutes. He had been in the country less than two weeks on vacation and claimed to not know about the law. He apologized saying, “I agreed I made a mistake ... I seriously apologize to everybody in Malaysia, not just in the Malaysian police”. Is this the best solution to stopping the spread of fake news? [1 image, 3 links, 1 quote, 164 words]