• 2 days ago
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has dismissed claims that the proposed amendments to Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1988 are vague, asserting that the changes are both comprehensive and significant.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday (Dec 8), Fahmi highlighted two major "game-changing" amendments under Section 233, which would make offences related to the sale of online pornography and paedophilia seizable, granted police greater authority to act against offenders involved in these illegal activities.

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Transcript
00:00If we look at the draft law that can be passed by all the parliaments in Malaysia,
00:29we can see that the amendments that were made specifically not only for Section 233,
00:38but there are 51 amendments to this amendment, which is much better after 26 years.
00:46Article 588 was strengthened.
00:49And for Section 233, we do two things that are actually game-changers.
00:58First, we make two types of offences, pedophilia and selling pornography as a crime that can be arrested.
01:12Seizable offences.
01:14So this, I'm sure, is not a simple amendment, but it will help ensure that the offenders,
01:26especially those involved in selling pornography, such as in the Hot Daddy case before this,
01:32and also those who are pedophiles, who keep sexual materials, sexual crimes against children,
01:44they are the perpetrators.
01:46So we will make an amendment so that these two groups, the police can arrest them.
01:57Meanwhile, for a few other things, we make the words, for example, no longer bad, but too bad.
02:07This is to ensure that the right to freedom of speech of the Malaysian people is not only guaranteed and protected,
02:16but will be more restricted along with the provisions that are included.
02:26Before this, there was no provision, but we included it as an example so that both the defense,
02:35the prosecution, and the judge will be able to judge with more precision.
02:43For me, this is better.
02:46So even though there are allegations from several parties, but after we have studied the process for more than two years,
02:54we have decided that we will make some of the offences more severe, more severe actions can be taken,
03:04while for the aspect of freedom of speech, it is more restricted and not easy to misuse in the future.
03:14So, God willing, this will be better for the Malaysian people.

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