KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 — The government is currently studying amendments to the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792) to address the challenges posed by today’s technology, including artificial intelligence (AI).

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Legal and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said this initiative is essential due to the increasing use of AI for criminal purposes, such as grooming, which presents a challenge to the existing laws.

"I cannot deny that the legislation we passed in 2017 may not adequately address the challenges posed by AI. For instance, when I speak to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) or the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), one of the significant issues they face is the sale of visual materials depicting children. Previously, this occurred mainly on the dark web, but now, perpetrators are operating on the wider web.

"When we talk about grooming facilitated by AI, another challenge is the method of payment. Perpetrators often use bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, making it difficult to trace who is paying for the grooming.

"With technology advancing rapidly, we need to thoroughly understand the current landscape and enact laws that can effectively address these challenges,” she told a press conference following the opening of the International Symposium on Empowerment of Children’s Commission: Strengthening Rights and Safeguarding Future, held at the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) here.

As such, Azalina said today’s symposium aims to compare and study the roles of the Office of the Children’s Commissioner (OCC ) in each respective country.

"I want to emphasise that the OCC will not take a confrontational approach; our focus is on assessing the legal issues in our country and learning about the role of the OCC from other countries.

"This symposium is the first step for us to listen and observe how other countries address this issue, and to learn from their strengths and weaknesses,” she said.

Azalina also said that the government is studying the necessity of establishing OCCs at the state level to ensure more comprehensive monitoring.

"As issues related to children cannot be effectively managed solely at the central level, monitoring also needs to be conducted at the state level. However, we will proceed gradually rather than aggressively,” she added. — Bernama