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The Youth and Sports Minister, who has the likes of Asian British Parliamentary (ABP) Debating Championship and Asia’s Best Speaker awards under his belt, returned to his alma mater of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) to participate in a test of oratory skills. - Pix by Saifullizan Tamadi

By Veena Babulal, Meor Riduwan Meor Ahmad - September 19, 2018 @ 12:55am

KUALA LUMPUR: Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman took the floor again, this time to defend the government’s move to repeal fake news laws.

The Youth and Sports Minister, who has the likes of Asian British Parliamentary (ABP) Debating Championship and Asia’s Best Speaker awards under his belt, returned to his alma mater of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) to participate in a test of oratory skills.

Syed Saddiq was part of the opposing team in the inaugural public debate on “Repealing the Anti-Fake News Act is a Mistake”.

He argued that the law should be scrapped as it was bad and that absolute power corrupts.

“The government decides and arbitrates, what is right and wrong. In the last two parliamentary sessions, statements that did not come from the government on 1Malaysia Development Berhad was also considered fake news.”

“The media outlets will not report on matters of public interest for fear of repercussions,” he said.

“Such a law also hinders freedom of speech. This will cause a chilling effect when it comes to sharing even verified news reports and the public cause media outlets to fear criminalisation,” he added.

Earlier, Syed Saddiq said pieces of investigative journalism such as New Straits Times’ Wang Kelian exposes on mass killings of trafficked Rohingya refugees at the Malaysian-Thai border would as a result never be published.

He further quoted the Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal which was a developing story over a matter of years and a series of exposes.

“I know it’s ironic coming from a minister but we can’t trust the government, because power changes people.”

“In years to come I may be the next (former prime minister) Datuk Seri Najib Razak because power corrupts,” he said.

Syed Saddiq said the room for abuse was too big within the framework of such an act.

“We have to err on the side of caution the best government today could be the most corrupt government tomorrow.”

The debate was won by Syed Saddiq’s and his 16-year-old team mate SM Seri Puteri's Hasya Atiyah Khairuddin with 54 per cent of the audience on social media in their favour.

In the session attended by over 2,000 IIUM engineering students, Ahmad Syarifuddin Ahmad Fakhri, who is also a champion and best speaker of the Asian British Parliamentary Championship, kept his senior Syed Saddiq on his toes.

Assisting him was 18-year-old Kolej Yayasan UEM's Kishen Sivabalan

Read more: https://www.nst.com.my/news/na...