KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 15): The Online Safety Bill is expected to be tabled in the upcoming Parliament meeting, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

He said the bill is being refined by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, in collaboration with the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

He said the bill aligns with the government's intention to license social media platforms as part of efforts to address issues related to online platforms.

"This matter (the bill) is being discussed continuously, and we have a special committee involving several ministries ... we expect that at least an Online Safety Bill can be brought to Parliament soon.

“We hope to table it in the coming Parliament sitting (October), but as mentioned before, there are several matters we need to amend in existing laws such as the Penal Code,” he added.

He was speaking to reporters after officiating at the 2024 Huawei Malaysia Supply Ecosystem Convention at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre (Mitec) here Thuesday.

According to Fahmi, the bill needs to be carefully refined to ensure that the definitions of offences provided in the new regulations are clear and more specific.

"For example, we see issues like scams, online gambling, cyberbullying, and sexual crimes against children ... within these three or four categories (of offences), there are several laws that need to be examined. For instance, cyberbullying does not have a specific definition in the Penal Code, so that matter needs to be reviewed," he said.

According to the parliamentary calendar, the Third Meeting of the Third Session of the 15th Parliament will be held from October 14 to December 12. 

https://www.theedgemarkets.com/node/722933