Page 2 - Malaysia MADANI Wellbeing Initiative Series 1/2025 - Bill

Communications and Multimedia
(Amendment) Bill 2024

House of
Representatives Senate Date of Effective
Date of Approval Approval Date / Status
9 December 2024 16 December 2024 11 February 2025

The Communications and Multimedia (Amendment) Bill 2024 is an
amendment to the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588),
aimed at strengthening security and consumer protection within the
country’s digital ecosystem.
This amendment aims to strengthen consumer protection, particularly
for children, and to tackle the growing threats posed by cybercrime,
including sexual exploitation, online fraud and cyberbullying.

Section 233 under Act 588 is retained to prevent the misuse of the network
by any party for commercial purposes, particularly the sale of pornography
and paedophilia-related materials.
As for the amendment to Section 211, it does not apply to the general
public; rather, its provisions are directed at holders of Content Application
Service Provider (CASP) licences, with the penalties specified in the section
being updated in accordance with current developments.

The amendment also provides for a penalty of imprisonment for a term
not exceeding five years or a fine of RM500,000, or both, for offences
committed against children under the age of 18.

As for the amendment to Section 211, it does not apply to the general
public; rather, its provisions are directed at holders of Content Application
Service Provider (CASP) licences, with the penalties specified in the section
being updated in accordance with current developments.
Section 211(c), among others, replaces the term “a person” with “content
application service provider” and substitutes the term “fifty thousand”
with the term “one million”.

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