KUALA LUMPUR: The proposed Online Safety Act aims to empower social media users while upholding freedom of expression, says Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) stressed that the law would not compromise freedom of speech and expression in the country.
“We want social media consumers to have the ultimate power, but there must be a balance with freedom of speech.
“I want to assure the public that the government will not compromise on the freedom of expression," she told reporters at the International Legal Conference on Online Harms 2024 here on Thursday (Sept 5).
Azalina said that while the people have the right to express themselves, harmful expressions such as those involving slander, libel, or defamation would be addressed through legal avenues.
She explained that the online safety law would not serve as a regulatory one but would require each online stakeholder, such as platform providers, to protect their users.
“This is not a regulating Bill as the regulator is still the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
"The new law is about duty – what is expected of everyone, including platform providers, to make online platforms safer,” she added.
Azalina also said the legislation would complement existing laws under which MCMC operates, such as the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
The two-day conference aims to gather opinions from various stakeholders, including international experts, on the best practices and online safety laws in other countries.
“We’re bringing in international experts to guide us. Some countries are reevaluating their online safety laws due to discovered gaps, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. We want to adopt the best practices from all those countries,” Azalina added.
She said several phases have to be completed before the Bill is tabled in Parliament next month.
