KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — The Penal Code (Amendment) Bill 2023, which aims to include the offence of stalking, was tabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat today.
The bill was tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
The bill will introduce a new Section 507A into the Penal Code (Act 574) to address the offence of stalking.
The proposed new section reads: “Whoever repeatedly by any act of harassment, intending to cause, or knowing or ought to know that the act is likely to cause distress, fear or alarm to any person of the person’s safety, commits an offence of stalking.”
The bill, among other things, states that anyone who commits the offence of stalking shall be punished with imprisonment of up to three years, or with a fine, or both.
Also tabled was the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill 2023, which also seeks to amend the First Schedule of Act 593 resulting from the inclusion of provisions on a new offence of stalking in the Penal Code.
Both bills are scheduled to be tabled for second reading in the current Dewan Rakyat session.
Azalina, in a statement, said the act of tracking anyone by any means can become an offence of stalking.
She said this matter was an improvement made following discussions to review and refine comprehensively the laws on stalking.
According to the minister, the discussions were led by her deputy Ramkarpal Singh and involved the Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO), Bar Council and the Attorney-General’s Chambers (Drafting and Prosecution Division).
“Based on the outcome of these meetings, the government on February 24, 2023 agreed that policy matters relating to anti-stalking set earlier will be retained with enhancements,” she added.
Azalina said the enhancements are specifically aimed at tackling cases where an individual is being tracked without any physical elements with the use of devices or other methods like a hidden camera or GPS tracker for the purpose of stalking, and the perpetrator is not near the victim when committing the act.
— Bernama
