KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — The Dewan Rakyat today approved a Bill to amend several provisions to the Sexual Offences against Children (SOAC) Act 2017.

The third reading of the Bill was passed in a voice vote taken after Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said’s winding-up speech with a clear majority in favour of it.

In her winding-up speech, Azalina said the amendments were needed to keep up with times, such as how grooming had been the focus in 2017.

"But now it has become an open source and child-related sexual offences have been occurring out of control, as children today are exposed to mobile phones and the Internet,” Azalina said.

She was responding to 10 MPs who participated in the debate of the Bill.

Azalina also acknowledged the lack of judges who were experts on child-related sexual offences, with just seven out of 40 sitting judges being considered as such.

As for the amendment concerning the term "child pornography”, she said the phrase of "child sexual abuse material” would allow a wider range of offences to be covered.

"When we look at the terminology used, the word ‘porn’ has an element of consent... however, when we change the words to ‘material’, it refers to the materials used to mistreat a child.

"If we look at the main Act... the drink-driving of the word ‘porn’ does not necessarily mean a dirty word, as in children’s thinking — for instance food porn — that is food.

"Or poverty porn. It is not necessarily sexually related,” she added.

On the proposed compensation for victims in the Bill, Azalina said the courts would be given the discretion to determine the amount as opposed to this being proposed by the prosecutors.

The Bill proposed to make those convicted of child-related sexual offences to be financially liable for their victim’s physical or emotional duress as well as related treatment and rehabilitation costs, among others.