KUALA LUMPUR: After considerable resistance, the Online Safety Bill has been passed following a bloc vote in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (Dec 11).
A total of 77 MPs voted in favour of the Bill and 55 against, with 90 MPs absent during the vote.
Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas) called for a bloc vote, with 15 MPs supporting the motion.
Fadhli had earlier invoked Standing Order 54(2), calling for the Bill to be deferred back to the Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) after Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina concluded her winding-up speech.
Deputy Speaker Alice Lau, who was presiding over the proceedings, then read out the Dewan Rakyat Speaker’s ruling that MPs would have to submit a written request a day in advance and indicate which PSSC the Bill should be referred to.
The Bill, which seeks to regulate harmful content on the internet, was tabled for the first reading on Tuesday (Dec 10).
In her winding-up speech, Azalina clarified that the bill will govern platforms to be licensed from Jan 1, 2025, and not the general public.
"So far, eight companies and two service providers systems such as Meta Inc, which governs Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp; ByteDance for TikTok, X for Twitter, Telegram, Tencent for WeChat, and Google for the YouTube platform," she said.
She highlighted that with millions of users on these platforms and systems operating at fast speeds, there is a need for platforms to have specific duties and responsibilities, adding that the law is necessary for ensuring online safety.
Citing the "Abang Bas" video example, where a bus driver uploaded videos of female students on his TikTok account, Azalina noted that the account gained thousands of followers from just one video.
"In such a situation, who is going to take down the video that had the girl’s face? We can report to MCMC and the police will act, but the system takes time," she said, adding that content platforms are capable of curating and evaluating content.
She emphasized that the law prioritizes freedom of speech.
"It is important to understand that this bill targets companies. But if we are busy protecting these companies, I'm sorry, the Madani government views these companies as having enough representatives, they are flushed with cash in the billions, and they can find lawyers; but what about the people and children?" she said.
Azalina described the Communications and Multimedia Act as the "big brother", and this amendment Bill as the "little brother".
She compared it to a car with safety measures, stating that platforms must also have necessary safety measures.
"As elected representatives, should we be calling the Madani government cruel for tabling this bill just because we want the product sellers to guarantee the safety of victims? Is that wrong?" she asked.
Addressing concerns about a lack of consultations and the bill being rushed, Azalina dismissed these notions, adding that there were sufficient engagements.
"NGOs will never be pleased no matter what we do. This is regarding companies that are registered outside of Malaysia that are making profits in the billions," she said, adding that the Madani government will not compromise if the laws are beneficial for the people.
