Malaysian Senate Passes Sexual Offences Against Children Bill 2017

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Bernama) -- Dewan Negara (Malaysian Senate) Wednesday gave its nod to the Sexual Offences Against Children Bill 2017. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said said when winding up the debate, that the bill was the first Act and history in the country’s judicial system that provided a definition for pornography against children. The bill also acknowledges children as being competent witnesses and provides for testimonies of children in court to be considered. Also emphasised were offences involving individual sexual communication with a child. Meanwhile, two other bills were also passed by Dewan Negara, namely, the Weights and Measures (Amendment) Bill 2017 and Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017. -- BERNAMA