Law Minister says separate law for porn unnecessary

Nancy Shukri says existing laws under the penal code are sufficient to deal with pornography

PUTRAJAYA: There is no need to have a stand alone law to deal with pornography per se, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri today.

“At the moment, we have an existing law under the Penal Code to deal with such cases,” Nancy, who is in charge of law, said in a statement here.

She was responding to calls by non-governmental organisations (NGO), following news of Nur Fitri Azmeer Nordin’s conviction in the United Kingdom for possession of child pornography.

An NGO, Wanita Ikram has urged the government to enact a special law to restrict pornography in Malaysia.

In its anti-pornography campaign launched last Sunday, it also hoped the government would seriously look into more stringent rules against possession and distribution of pornographic materials.

However, with regard to pedophilia, Nancy said it was time to look into existing laws like the Penal Code and Child Act to make the necessary amendments where needed.

On the verdict of the rape acquittal involving a minor, Nancy, who expressed sadness over the decision, urged the government to apply for a review as provided for under Section 137 of the Federal Court Rules.

Bunya Jalong, 60, walked free last Thursday after the Court of Appeal found his four rape convictions “unsound”.

He was convicted in 2013 of raping a 15-year-old girl in May, June, July and August 2011 at a hotel in Sibu. The victim became pregnant and gave birth in a Sibu Hospital on February 5, 2012.

“If there is any weakness in our laws, it is time for necessary amendments to be made,” noted Nancy.

The minister said she would personally make it her task to ensure all laws were amended to suit the current needs of society.

“The government is actually drafting amendments to the relevant law,” she said.

In view of the recent development, she said further amendments seemed necessary as the various government agencies were seriously looking into other related laws, involving obscene materials including pornography involving young persons and children.

On the setting up of a registry for sex offenders, Nancy who supported the proposal said a deeper study on how the registry was to be set up and maintained needed to be carried out.

Currently, Malaysia has the Registration of Criminals and Undesirable Persons Act 1969 where rape, oral or anal sex by consent were included. It does not include people convicted of oral or anal sex without consent.

Nancy said the court could also order a person having previous convictions to be placed under police supervision for a period of no less than one year and not more than three years, commencing immediately after expiration of the sentence passed.

- BERNAMA