KUALA LUMPUR: Social media platforms should include algorithms to detect cyberbullying or threatening content in vernacular languages.
This was the suggestion by broadcast journalist S. Hemalatha, 40, who claims that she is facing continued cyberbullying and threats despite lodging several police reports.
"Social media platforms such as TikTok's algorithm does detect vulgar Tamil words.
"Violations spoken in Tamil words are not detected and this should be addressed immediately for the safety of the users," she said at a press conference in Parliament on Wednesday (Oct 9).
"I should be the last victim as I believe there are a lot of unreported cases," she added.
Hemalatha is a friend of the late media influencer Rajeswary Appahu who took her own life last year after facing cyberbullying and threats.
Hemalatha had lodged police reports over her friend's death resulting in two individuals eventually facing charges for cyberbullying.
The man is serving a two-year sentence running concurrently, whilst the woman received a RM100 fine.
The case generated public outcry resulting in the government introducing Section 507D in the Penal Code to criminalise any words or actions used to threaten, insult or defame with the intent to provoke self-harm or harm to others.
The "Esha Clause" in honour of Rajeswary Appahu, was used for the first time in the Zara Qairina Mahathir case.
Meanwhile, Hemalatha said that a simpler process should be introduced for cyberbullying victims to lodge reports with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
"It is a very complicated process for victims to lodge complaints because they have to edit to exact part and provide an explanation and translation.
"Those who are not educated or tech savvy will find it difficult to lodge a report," she said.
Present also at the press conference was Syerleena Abdul Rashid (Pakatan-Bukit Bendera) who urged the police to take immediate action against those suspected to have committed cyberbullying against Hemalatha.
"Bullying in any form is unacceptable and enough is enough.
"We have had so many bullying cases and right now, it's a ticking time bomb and a race against time.
"When we hear of such cases, we do not want to hear the aftermath of potential fatalities because complaints to stakeholder were not acted on immediately," she said.
Also present was RSN Rayer (Pakatan-Jelutong) who also urged the authorities to act swiftly against those suspected of cyberbullying Hemalatha.
