Complaints made during CMA moratorium investigated under other laws

PARLIAMENT | Complaints pertaining to the Internet and social media abuses under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA) lodged during the moratorium period were investigated under other existing laws.

Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Eddin Syazlee Shith said a total of 31 complaints lodged under the provision from October to December last year were referred to other enforcement agencies, such as the police.

Section 233 stipulates that improper use of network facilities such as initiating a communication which is obscene, indecent, false, menacing or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass another person is an offence.

“The moratorium on Section 233 was suspended in January, and complaints that could not be investigated under the section are being investigated under other existing laws, such as the Penal Code,” he said at the Dewan Negara.

Eddin (below) was responding to a question by senator T Mohan, who wanted to know the status of the review on Section 233, as well as the investigations into the cases.

In November last year, Communications and Multimedia Minister Gobind Singh Deo said there was a moratorium on the enforcement of the law, following a proposal by the government to amend it, as the Penal Code has similar provisions.

Gobind said the move to amend Section 233 was to prevent it from being abused and also aimed at abolishing its "draconian" elements.

On the detention of political activist Jufazli Shi Ahmad, Eddin told the Dewan Negara that it was a follow-up to a complaint, and it was a common process of investigation.

“Any action will only be taken after serious assessment and observation made on the complaint,” he said.

Previously, it was reported that Jufazli who was arrested on April 20 in connection with his alleged attacks on social media against Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the police, was remanded for one day on April 21. 

The case was investigated under Section 233 of CMA and Section 505 of the Penal Code.

In the meantime, Eddin said RTM had been asked to conduct a comprehensive study on the need to extend its 30-minute Tamil news segment to 60 minutes.

If there was a good response and need, there should be no issue in implementing it, he said.

- Bernama