The failed construction of fake news as a security threat in Malaysia

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article examines developments in Malaysia regarding ‘fake news', analyzing how state actors sought to securitise the issue - or construct it as a national security threat - to justify broad crackdowns. As a research focus, it asks: how has the previous administration under PM Najib Razak sought to crackdown on fake news? Why were the securitisation efforts resisted, leading to the repeal of the Anti-Fake News 2018 bill? Drawing on primary survey data and through a case study, this study finds that the securitising actors' lack of legitimacy, low resonance of discourses employed, and the presence of a credible opposing narrative are important factors leading to securitisation failure. Interestingly, results show that although the threat of fake news had acquired a broad consensus, efforts to frame it as a threat lapsed because the actor's legitimacy was in doubt. Empirically, this study sheds light on policymaking processes in Malaysia, a ‘flawed semi-democracy’.