Dewan Negara passes bill on sexual offences against children

The Dewan Negara yesterday approved the Sexual Offences against Children (Amendment) Bill 2023, which aims to better protect children against all forms of sexual exploitation and abuse.

Ten senators spoke during the debate on the bill, which was passed by a voice vote after being tabled for a third reading by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said.

Azalina said the amendments took into account the sophisticated nature of criminal cases and technological progress which required an expansion of the definition or interpretation of the crime.

She said the communications and digital ministry together with telco companies could also play a role by monitoring and removing pornographic content online.

"In Western countries, they have the responsibility to monitor or remove pornographic content... but if telco companies want to make money from the content views, of course they will not remove the content.
 
"That's why we hope that after this amendment is made, the communications and digital ministry can play a role through the Communications Act so that it can monitor content like this," she said.

Earlier, when tabling the bill, Azalina said the proposed law would replace the term "child pornography" with "child abuse sexual material" in the parent act. 

She said the amendments would also include the addition of Section 26A and Section 26B, which empower the court to order a convicted perpetrator to pay compensation to the victim.