A Facebook user in Malaysia who published controversial content related to the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) could face up to two years in prison if found guilty of violating Section 505 (b) of the country's Penal Code, which prohibits the publishing and circulating of rumors ‘likely to cause fear or alarm to the public.’
Wan Noor Hayati Wan Alias was accused of publishing three Facebook posts on 26 January, which allegedly contained rumors and racist content related to the global outbreak of the virus. Hayati pleaded not guilty on 5 February, when she appeared before a court in Kuala Lumpur, the nation’s capital.
Several media groups have called for the dropping of charges, describing the action of authorities as punitive.
What complicates the case is that Hayati is an award-winning journalist who has written for Berita Harian and New Straits Times. She is also the general treasurer of the National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia (NUJM).
While Attorney-General Tan Sri Tommy Thomas didn’t mention any particular case, his office released on 5 February a statement explaining why the government will punish those who spread disinformation about the virus:
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