Latest news with #OnlineSafetyCommittee
The Sun
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Online Safety Act to be enforced soon, says Azalina
BANGI: Malaysia is set to enforce the Online Safety Act 2024 soon following its full passage through Parliament and Royal Assent. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, said the Act has already been gazetted and is now awaiting the official enforcement date to be signed by Communications Minister, Fahmi Fadzil. She said the law will give authorities greater powers to regulate digital platforms and bolster safeguards, particularly to protect children from online harm. Azalina said the law will come into force as soon as Fahmi signs the enforcement order, enabling the government to act swiftly in removing unlawful content. Under the Act, platform providers will also be required to uphold a defined duty of care. 'After that, there will be a joint council (Online Safety Committee) to define online harms,' she said at a press conference after the monthly assembly of the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) and launch of the National Legal Academy (APN), here today. Azalina said that while the Online Safety Act centres on platform regulation and digital responsibility, any matter involving children must also be viewed through the lens of the Child Act 2001. On a separate note, she stressed the urgent need for stronger legal frameworks to ensure corporate accountability, particularly in cases involving public safety and transport negligence. Citing the recent bus crash that claimed the lives of 15 UPSI students, Azalina called for policy-level discussions on corporate liability, including the potential introduction of corporate manslaughter laws. 'How can a company run a business and not be held responsible? Take the example of what happened with Air India. If something goes wrong mechanically, it should not be enough to just pay out insurance. Someone must be held accountable,' she stressed.
The Sun
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Online Safety Act to be enforced soon
BANGI: Malaysia is set to enforce the Online Safety Act 2024 soon following its full passage through Parliament and Royal Assent. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, said the Act has already been gazetted and is now awaiting the official enforcement date to be signed by Communications Minister, Fahmi Fadzil. She said the law will give authorities greater powers to regulate digital platforms and bolster safeguards, particularly to protect children from online harm. Azalina said the law will come into force as soon as Fahmi signs the enforcement order, enabling the government to act swiftly in removing unlawful content. Under the Act, platform providers will also be required to uphold a defined duty of care. 'After that, there will be a joint council (Online Safety Committee) to define online harms,' she said at a press conference after the monthly assembly of the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) and launch of the National Legal Academy (APN), here today. Azalina said that while the Online Safety Act centres on platform regulation and digital responsibility, any matter involving children must also be viewed through the lens of the Child Act 2001. On a separate note, she stressed the urgent need for stronger legal frameworks to ensure corporate accountability, particularly in cases involving public safety and transport negligence. Citing the recent bus crash that claimed the lives of 15 UPSI students, Azalina called for policy-level discussions on corporate liability, including the potential introduction of corporate manslaughter laws. 'How can a company run a business and not be held responsible? Take the example of what happened with Air India. If something goes wrong mechanically, it should not be enough to just pay out insurance. Someone must be held accountable,' she stressed.
New Straits Times
16-06-2025
- Politics
- New Straits Times
Online Safety Act to come into force soon, says Azalina
BANGI: The Online Safety Act 2024 is set to come into force in the near future, following royal assent from His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, confirmed the law has been gazetted and now awaits the signature of Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil to set the enforcement date. "It has been gazetted. Now it is for the minister (Fahmi) to sign the enforcement date. "Once he signs it, the law will come into effect and they (the government) are able to immediately take down (unlawful postings). According to the law, there are also expectations on the platform providers to have a certain duty of care. "After that, there will be a joint council (Online Safety Committee) where they will provide the definition of online harms," she said at a press conference after launching the National Legal Academy here today. The Dewan Rakyat in December last year gave the nod to the Online Safety Bill which requires social media platform providers to comply with three main responsibilities, namely ensuring platform safety, protecting children under 13 and restricting access to harmful content. These platforms would also need to submit an annual Digital Safety Plan detailing their safety strategies and accomplishments. On another matter, Azalina said her proposal for the government to consider amending the Penal Code or introducing a new law for corporate manslaughter in light of the fatal Gerik bus crash is a personal opinion. She said in her view, corporations should be responsible for ensuring that their vehicles are fit for purpose. Azalina previously had said that such a law had already been introduced in the United Kingdom in response to several workplace fatalities where no corporate entity could be held criminally accountable under previous laws, especially companies providing transportation services.
The Star
05-06-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Fahmi: Implementation of Online Safety Act will be clarified later
PUTRAJAYA: A dedicated committee will provide further clarification on the implementation of a proposal to make it mandatory for parents to monitor their children's online activities under the Online Safety Act, says Datuk Fahmi Fadzil. The Communications Minister said that a key step under the enforcement of the legislation was the formation of the Online Safety Committee, which is under the purview of the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said. "An online safety committee must be formed. Its role will be crucial in determining what constitutes 'online harm' and how it should be addressed under the law. "As such, we need to allow the process to take its course. We will proceed once everything is finalised," he said during a post-Cabinet meeting press conference on Thursday (June 5). On June 2, Azalina said that the government was currently reviewing several existing legal provisions to introduce clearer responsibilities for parents and guardians in efforts to prevent child abuse and neglect. The proposal also includes mandatory participation in digital safety education programmes. – Bernama
