KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat today passed the Penal Code (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2024, to address all forms of bullying, including cyberbullying.
The Bill, tabled by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, was approved by a majority voice vote.
In her closing remarks, Azalina emphasised that the amendment does not intend to curtail freedom of speech but serves as a preventive mechanism to combat harassment and safeguard society, particularly children.
“This amendment is not solely punitive but also aims to educate, protect, and prevent. It is a crucial step toward fostering a more civil society that respects the dignity of every individual,” she stated.
Azalina added that the amendment addresses legal gaps, including the absence of specific provisions in the Penal Code (Act 574) against bullying and cyberbullying.
The Bill introduces a new subsection, 507D(2), which aims to criminalise any act involving the use of threatening, insulting, or defamatory words or communications with the intent to provoke someone, resulting in harm to themselves or others.
This subsection prescribes a penalty of imprisonment for up to one year, a fine, or both upon conviction.
Additionally, if the provoked individual attempts suicide or dies by suicide due to such provocation, the proposed offence carries a punishment of imprisonment for up to 10 years, a fine, or both.
Meanwhile, the Dewan Rakyat also passed the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2024, to align with the amendments to the Penal Code.
Among its provisions are regulations on the requirement for arrest warrants, the duration of the warrant or summons validity, the classification of offences as bailable or non-bailable, the conditions for compounding offences, and the maximum penalties for offences related to bullying.
