PUTRAJAYA, July 28 — A new legislation encompassing provisions on procedures and enforcement of a 'kill switch' to enhance cyber security will be tabled in Parliament this October, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

She said it would place responsibility on social media service providers and internet messaging service providers to play their role and be accountable in tackling online crimes such as online scams, cyberbullying, dissemination of child sexual abuse materials, as well as harassment and sexual extortion.

"This is in line with legislative initiatives enforced in various other countries,” she said in a statement here today.

Azalina said the International Legal Conference on Online Harms 2024 would also be held on Sept 5 and 6.

This follows the licensing of social media services effective Jan 1 next year after a new regulatory framework for social media and internet messaging services is introduced on Aug 1.

The conference will be co-organised by the Legal Affairs Division in the Prime Minister’s Department (BHEUU), in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Azalina said the conference, to be attended by several prominent international social media accountability and transparency advocates such as Frances Haugen and Dr Taylor Owen, would discuss issues related to online threats such as child safety, cybercrime, and the regulation of social media, especially with the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technology.

Meanwhile, Azalina said the government was also reviewing proposals to amend the Penal Code to classify and define cyberbullying offences and proposed consequential amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code to ensure that provisions on cyberbullying offences could be effectively enforced.

She said Universiti Sains Malaysia, in collaboration with BHEUU and the Ministry of Communications through MCMC, would conduct a social study on online safety through a public opinion survey.

She added that the survey aimed to gather views and sentiments from various parties, including the public, on issues related to cyber security.

Azalina said the study would complement the government’s efforts in drafting online safety laws to ensure that the regulations to be enforced in the future were holistic, relevant, and covered all aspects, protecting all levels of society. — Bernama