Govt to amend Multimedia & Communications Act in Oct

KUALA LUMPUR - The amendments of the Multimedia and Communications Act 1998 and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Act 1998 are expected to be tabled in October, parliament was told.

Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the amendments will cover improvement of administrative, preventive and enforcement on monitoring cyber activities and curb the abuse of Internet use.

"The amendments, which may be tabled either in October or early next year, are necessary to update the existing laws and give more bite in enforcement including penalties and better preventive efforts in a more holistic approach. We are currently carrying out engagement sessions with stakeholders including non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on the matter.

"We would like to stress that not all offences (cyber) are under the jurisdiction of the commission. Any wrongdoing or seditious statements published on the Internet can be lodged to the police under the Sedition Act," he said in responding to a question by Datuk Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) on the ministry's plan to control the use of social media to prevent misconduct and to what extend the ministry was serious in punishing those who commits misconduct in order to curb defamation and incitement.