Ahmad Maslan: We will come after everyone who spreads fake news once polls are over

PONTIAN: Action will be taken against everyone caught spreading fake news during the GE14 period, says Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan.

The Umno supreme council member said the amount of untrue and damaging information was at an unprecedented level despite the Anti-Fake News Act 2018 being gazetted a month ago.

"After the general election, we will nab and take action against everyone who has spread fake news up to this point.

"The worst victim of fake news is Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. The number of vile things said against him is very bad. Don't they feel guilty about it?" he asked after meeting more than 100 fishermen near here who pledged their support for Barisan Nasional.

Ahmad Maslan said he too had been targeted by Opposition cyber troopers, with demeaning memes of him circulated over a million times on WhatsApp and cyberspace of him saying that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) had helped lower the price of goods.

"In Pontian alone, four supermarkets here are giving discounts between 10% and 80%. The number of people shopping there is really good.

"How are they able to give such steep discounts if the GST is a burden to everyone as alleged?" he said, adding that the Opposition had demonised the beneficial tax system.