Call for harsher cyberbullying laws renewed after TikTok harassment

 A transgender was purportedly harassed by viewers during a TikTok livestream, which an NGO claims is a growing trend against marginalised communities.

Public Health And Welfare Association of Malaysia founder Elisha Kor Krishnan slammed TikTok for failing to identify that the transgender TikTok user was being cyberbullied.

PETALING JAYA:

 An NGO has renewed calls for the government to introduce harsher laws against cyberbullying after a transgender was purportedly harassed by viewers during a TikTok livestream.

Public Health And Welfare Association of Malaysia founder Elisha Kor Krishnan said existing laws such as the Penal Code, Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and Defamation Act 1957 were insufficient to deal with the cruelty of online hate.

She warned that failing to protect victims of cyberbullying and come down hard on perpetrators could lead to psychological effects on the victims.

In a statement, Elisha also slammed TikTok for failing to identify that the transgender TikTok user was being cyberbullied, as the purportedly abusive comments were being made in Tamil.

“Hate speech, death wishes, and verbal harassment go undetected simply because the language is not captioned, flagged or understood by the system.

“The time has come for a dedicated law that recognises cyberbullying for what it truly is: violence. We call on the government to enact and enforce stronger laws against cyberbullying – particularly those that cause psychological harm and target vulnerable groups,” she said.

Elisha added that the case involving the TikTok user was not isolated but a part of a growing trend of cyberbullying aimed at marginalised communities in Malaysia, such as transgenders.

Last year, lawyers and activists called for tougher laws to be enacted to clamp down on cyberbullying after the death of a social media influencer.

Criminal lawyer R Sivahnanthan said the lack of a specific law for cyberbullying created a perception that it was not a serious crime, while Alliance For A Safe Community chairman Lee Lam Thye said the imposition of a small fine was unlikely to be a deterrent.

This came after P Shalini, 35, was handed a RM100 fine after pleading guilty to one charge of insulting TikTok influencer A Rajeswary. She was charged under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955, which provides for a maximum fine of RM100.

Rajeswary, 29, was found dead at her home in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, on July 5. Also known as Esha, she had filed a police report against two individuals, claiming they had harassed her on TikTok. - FMT