Online safety bill a move to fix 'lacuna' in law - Fahmi

PUTRAJAYA: The Online Safety Bill is a move to fix the gap or a 'lacuna' in the law or legal system as there is currently no precise definition for bullying crimes, including cyberbullying, in the country, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said.

A 'lacuna in the law' is the term given to any situation where there is no applicable law in place.

"This Bill will be brought to Parliament to ensure that, in general, our Internet is safe for children and families.

"...and that we will be able to take stern action against cyberbullies, as a government study indicates that there is currently no precise definition for bullying crimes, including cyberbullying," he told a post-Cabinet meeting press conference here today.

Fahmi, who is also the Unity Government's spokesperson, said that the Bill will be tabled in Parliament for first reading during this current session and is expected to be tabled for second reading in early December.

Prior to this, the minister announced that one of the reasons why the government took such steps to table the Online Safety Bill is to see that online safety issues can be addressed more comprehensively, particularly involving the four main criminal activities that are rapidly moving to social media, namely scams, online gambling, cyberbullying and sexual crimes against children.

He said today's Cabinet meeting also agreed in principle to the proposed amendments to the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code related to cyberbullying, and that the relevant bills would also be tabled in this Parliament session.

-- BERNAMA

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