KUALA LUMPUR, July 17 — The Communications Ministry is working to better address the issue of cyberbullying so perpetrators can be brought to justice.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said he, along with Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, are re-examining the definition of cyberbullying and its appropriate punishments.
He said this when commenting on the prosecution of welfare home owner P. Shalini, who was linked to the death of influencer A Rajeswary, better known as Esha.
Shalini was fined a maximum RM100 by the Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
“I am disappointed by the small fine, but I was made to understand by the Attorney-General’s Chambers that the punishment was meted out based on the evidence collected.
“For the second case (lorry driver B. Sathiskumar), under Section 233 (Communications and Multimedia Act 1998), the fine was RM50,000, and that is quite significant,” he told the media after attending the KL Startup Summit at the Asia School of Business today.
Fahmi stressed the importance of handling cyberbullying more effectively, emphasising the necessity for clearer definitions and more substantial penalties.
He said his ministry has been reviewing numerous comments, including those on TikTok, where several influencers expressed dissatisfaction not only with the fine imposed on Shalini but also with the offender’s apparent lack of remorse for her actions.
“We have to work very hard to strengthen the law now,” he said.
Yesterday, Shalini, 35, was fined RM100 by the Magistrate’s Court here after pleading guilty to intentionally uttering abusive words via her TikTok account @alphaquinnsha to incite anger and disturb peace, under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955, which carries a maximum fine of RM100.
Meanwhile, Sathiskumar, 40, pleaded guilty in the Sessions Court here to the charge of making and initiating transmissions of an obscene nature using communication services.
The charge was framed under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, and can be punished under Section 233(3) of the same act, which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000, jail time not exceeding one year, or both, and a further fine of RM1,000 for each day the offence continues after conviction.
Bernama previously reported that Esha was found dead at a condominium unit in Setapak on July 5, a day she lodged a police report at the Dang Wangi police station here over threats against her.
In another development, Fahmi said his ministry had detected a new “troll farm” trend on TikTok to manipulate perceptions of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
He said the trend was detected when Anwar was answering questions in Parliament yesterday.
TikTok had also identified a group using the troll farm system, which can repeat a single comment of a live broadcast 15,000 times, making it a trending word.
Fahmi said TikTok has identified people who engage in coordinated inauthentic behaviour against its policies, and the firm has taken decisive action by shutting down accounts involved.
— Bernama
