The government is mulling new laws to help deal with the phenomenon of fake news, said Salleh Said Keruak.

The Star quoted the Communications and Multimedia minister saying that existing laws are inadequate to handle the "global problem" of fake news, and thus, new ones are needed.

"Fake news is no longer just about character assassination but is seen by some nations as a security threat. So we are looking at passing specific laws and adopting models used by other countries to deal with the problem, particularly fake news that could jeopardise our security," he was quoted as saying.

He cited Britain's move to set up a new national security communications unit, as an example why extra measures are needed to handle the scourge of fake news.

According to Salleh, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) Network Sector will also be beefed up ahead of the general election.

"We expect to see more fake news circulating on social media as the election nears, and we are preparing for this by increasing manpower to monitor social media," he said, further urging the public to confirm the veracity of any news before sharing it.

The report said that the MCMC last year received 1,203 complaints on false content, online impersonation, and fake news, and that access to more than 1,800 websites, portals, and blogs that had misleading content, were restricted.