TUN M HAS NO LOCUS STANDI TO ATTEND BRIEFING ON FAKE NEWS BILL

Azalina disappointed briefing turned into a political dialogue

TUN Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday “gatecrashed” a briefing session on the Anti-Fake News Bill 2018 for members of the parliament at the Parliament building.

The closed-door briefing at 2.30pm was meant to provide an explanation to opposition MPs on the bill, which is expected to be debated in the current session of the Dewan Rakyat.

However, the session had an uninvited guest when Dr Mahathir joined the session, which was conducted by an officer from the Prime Minister’s Department.

Dr Mahathir, who had attended a Pakatan Harapan presidential council meeting at the opposition leader’s office in the Parliament building, entered the briefing with other opposition MPs.

Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, who is a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said the Pakatan Harapan chairman was not invited, adding that the briefing was reserved for opposition MPs.

Azalina said she was disappointed that the briefing, which was supposed to be an exchange of views with opposition MPs, evolved into a political dialogue.

“I invited opposition MPs because I wanted to hear their views from a legal standpoint (on the bill). Instead, they politicised it, claiming that the government was implementing this law as the election is near.

“They have become so desperate that they are willing to trigger fear of this law.

“We want to explain, but (before we could even finish) they walked out.

“Tun (Dr) Mahathir left (before the session ended), so did Pagoh MP (Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin) and Lembah Pantai MP (Nurul Izzah Anwar). What can we do?

“He (Dr Mahathir) came and spoke, then he left. I don’t really mind this about the opposition as this is their nature.

“But Tun, as the former prime minister... During his time, were there any instances where laws were brought up for discussion with the opposition first?” she said after a briefing session with reporters in Parliament.

The briefing on the Anti-Fake News Bill 2018 was conducted by the Prime Minister’s Department with the Attorney-General’s Office, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the police.

Dr Mahathir had claimed after the briefing that the bill was only meant to silence the voices of the opposition. He claimed that several questions posed to the officer during the briefing went unanswered.

Azalina, however, begged to differ.

“This is a law that is meant to help those who become victims (of fake news). Do you actually believe (Dr Mahathir’s claims)? You saw us just now (fielding questions from the media). Do you believe (that we can’t answer)?” said Azalina.

Batu MP Tian Chua said the opposition MPs did not invite Dr Mahathir to the session. Instead, Dr Mahathir was the one who wanted to tag along.

“After our meeting, we said we wanted to attend the briefing and he (Dr Mahathir) said he wanted to come along as he wanted to hear Azalina’s explanation.

“But, when he saw that it was an officer who was conducting the briefing and not Azalina, he walked out.”