Dewan Rakyat passes Online Safety Bill after bloc vote

KUALA LUMPUR: The Online Safety Bill was passed in the Dewan Rakyat today following a bloc vote, with 77 MPs voting in favour of the bill, 55 against, and 90 absent.

The bloc vote was triggered by Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas), with the support of 15 MPs.

Fadhli had earlier invoked Standing Order 54(2) in an attempt to refer the bill to a parliamentary committee for further review.

Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Alice Lau, however, said a written notice must be submitted at least one day in advance although the standing orders did not explicitly state this.

She said the MPs must specify which of the 10 parliamentary committees should review the bill or propose the formation of a new committee.

Earlier during her winding-up speech, law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said reaffirmed the government’s commitment to upholding freedom of expression while ensuring it is balanced with social responsibility.

Addressing concerns over the Online Safety Bill during the debate, she said the legislation targets harmful content such as cyberbullying and child exploitation, without infringing on constitutional rights.

“The bill aligns with human rights principles and includes safeguards to prevent misuse, acknowledging that freedom of expression comes with necessary limitations to protect societal well-being,” she said.

Earlier today, two NGOs voiced concern over the bill’s vague definition of “harmful” content, saying it could make the proposed law open to abuse.

In a statement, Article 19 and the Centre for Independent Journalism said the reference to “harmful” content suggests that this could include anything that was not illegal and also “legal but harmful”.

They said such a broad definition would likely result in increased “lawful content” being taken down from the internet.

“We also see a risk that this opens the door for the government to exploit or manipulate companies’ content moderation systems to censor unwanted speech,” they said, citing statements that were critical of those in power as an example.

The Online Safety Bill, which seeks to regulate harmful content on the internet, was tabled for its first reading on Tuesday.

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