The Dewan Rakyat tonight passed the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill 2017 which provides mandatory whipping for sexual offenders.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Razali Ibrahim said with the amendment to the Code, the mandatory whipping punishment could be handed down to offenders who committed rape, incest, consensual and non-consensual unnatural sex, and encouraged children towards acts of extreme indecency.

"The Bill is proof of the serious step taken by the government to address sex crimes which has becoming rampant in the society," he said when winding up the debate on the Bill, which was then passed with a majority vote at 11.30 pm.

The Bill also provides mandatory jail sentence for a person who caused hurt to ex-wife or ex-husband, children, disabled adult or other members of the family, not limited to those who are still in a valid marriage.

Razali said the amendment also expanded the provision under Section 377CA to include inserting any parts of the body, except the penis, into the vagina or anus as sexual offences, in which the offender could be prosecuted.

"The expansion and explanation on Section 377CA is part of the government's efforts to combat sexual offences not only against children, but also against general members of the public," he said.

Meanwhile, the Bill also includes a topic obscene documents to strengthen the ban on the sale, distribution, possession, prohibition, leasing, production, advertising, purchase and other actions relating to such documents.

Obscene documents include photograph or visual recordings and other recorded, stored, processed and reproduced or generated by computer.

-- BERNAMA