240 bribe givers charged under Act 694 since 2019 - Ramkarpal

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Ramkarpal Singh said of the number, 29 and 211 bribe offerors have been charged under Sections 16 (b) and 17 (b) of the Act, respectively.

"Out of the total charges or convictions, 86 persons who offered bribes were found guilty under the provisions of the two sections," he said when winding up a debate on the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP) Mid-Term Review (MTR) here today.

Meanwhile, Ramkarpal said the government was looking into the need to set up a Law Commission or Law Reform Commission to ensure the effectiveness of the law review and reform process.

With the establishment of the commission at a later stage, he said efforts to review and revise existing and outdated laws can be implemented as soon as possible, in line with the government's efforts to ensure that national legislation remains relevant.

Moreover, Ramkarpal said his department was aware of the proposal that the government should enact an anti-discrimination law, but insisted that it must first be examined in detail, taking into account the sensitivity and current needs of the multi-ethnic society in the country.

"Regarding the proposal to create a law against hate speech, the government is of the view that there are several existing laws that deal with hate speech, such as Act 574 of the Penal Code, the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 and the Sedition Act 1948," he said.