Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Salleh Said Keruak said Malaysia would follow international standards in regulating the internet.
He said in this regard the revision of related laws would include a study on what was considered to be the norm in advanced countries that uphold freedom of speech.
"However, even in the ‘free’ and ‘liberal’ west there are limitations as to what you can say and publish. And this is what Malaysians need to understand," he said in his latest post on his blog today.
Hitting out at the opposition for jumping to conclusions and accusing the government of trying to stifle free speech, the minister cited examples of what the government was studying and considering in the revision of the laws.
"For example, Section 1 of the United Kingdom's Malicious Communications Act 1988, criminalises sending another person any article which is indecent or grossly offensive with an intent to cause distress or anxiety.
"Section 127 of the United Kingdom’s Communications Act 2003 makes it an offence to send a message that is grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character over a public electronic communications network," he said.
Dr Mohd Salleh said to strike a balance between freedom of speech and criminality, the Director of Public Prosecutions issued guidelines, clarifying when social messaging is eligible for criminal prosecution under the UK law.
"Then we have the English defamation laws that come into play. UK’s libel laws apply to Internet publishing.
"However, the time limit of one year after publication for libel suits does not apply to Internet publishing because each incidence of material being accessed on the Internet is defined as a new publication.
"As a result, many newspapers and journals do not publish controversialmaterial in their online archives due to a fear of potential libel suits. Then we have contempt of court issues to take into consideration," he said.
He said even in the UK there were limitations to freedom of speech which excluded prior restraint, restrictions on court reporting including names of victims and evidence and prejudicing or interfering with court proceedings, prohibition of post-trial interviews with jurors, and scandalising the court by criticising or murmuring judges.
"The use of social media to comment on a legal case can constitute contempt of court, resulting in a fine or an imprisonment and there have been instances of social media users being prosecuted," he said.
Dr Mohd Salleh has advised the opposition to "learn to wait and see what happens first before throwing accusations at the government".
Bernama
Sat Aug 08 2015
SALLEH: Even in the free and liberal west there are limitations as to what you can say and publish.
Lapan mangsa tragedi selamat dikebumikan
Kesedihan ahli keluarga dan waris mengiringi perjalanan terakhir mangsa tragedi helikopter terhempas di Pangkalan Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) Lumut, Perak di beberapa lokasi pengebumian di seluruh negara pada malam Rabu.
Nahas helikopter: JKM Perak beri bantuan kaunseling kepada keluarga mangsa
Salbiah berkata pihak JKM telah melawat tiga keluarga mangsa dari Perak iaitu di Selama, Lekir dan Sitiawan.
[LAPOR LANGSUNG] Gaza Freedom Flotilla: Misi melalui perairan antarabangsa, bukan Israel
Peguam, Huwaida Arraf memaklumkan misi ini akan melalui perairan antarabangsa sebelum memasuki kawasan perairan Palestin.
Freedom Flotilla to Gaza: Cucu Nelson Mandela antara peserta misi bantuan
Penyertaannya dalam misi ini bagi sama-sama menyokong misi memecah sekatan rejim Israel bagi membolehkan penghantaran bantuan ke Gaza.
Lapan mangsa tragedi helikopter TLDM terhempas selamat dikebumi
Tiada kata-kata yang dapat menggambarkan kesedihan ahli keluarga dan waris yang mengiringi perjalanan terakhir mangsa.
[LAPOR LANGSUNG] Nahas helikopter Lumut: Lapan mangsa selamat dikebumi
Suasana sedih dan pilu menyelubungi majlis pengebumian lapan daripada 10 jenazah mangsa nahas berkenaan.
Nahas helikopter: Pulau Pinang sedia bantu keluarga Muhammad Firdaus
Chow tidak memperinci bentuk bantuan yang bakal disalur namun memberitahu akan melawat keluarga Allahyarham di Pantai Jerejak hari ini.
Hujan sambut ketibaan jasad Joanna di kampung halaman
Jasad mendiang yang tiba dalam suasana rintis syahdu hujan disambut dengan istiadat ketenteraan oleh 27 pegawai dan 80 lain-lain anggota.
Amalan pemakanan tidak sihat, kurang aktiviti fizikal punca utama obesiti - Dr Dzulkefly
Amalan pemakanan yang tidak sihat dan kurang aktiviti fizikal merupakan komponen utama yang menyumbang kepada masalah obesiti, kata Menteri Kesihatan Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.
Tangisan anak bongsu iringi pengebumian Komander Amir
Jenazah Allahyarham selamat dikebumikan di kampung halamannya itu tepat pada jam 12.30 malam.
UK pertimbang haramkan media sosial untuk pengguna bawah 16 tahun
Kerajaan UK kini dalam proses mempertimbangkan untuk mengehadkan media sosial ke atas pengguna bawah 16 tahun termasuk mengharamkan terus.
Internet pantas di kawasan Felda bantu peneroka pasar produk - Ahmad Shabery
Perkhidmatan internet pantas dapat meningkatkan ekonomi digital seperti membantu peneroka memasarkan produk dan terlibat dalam e-dagang.
KKD, KPT laksana tindakan segera pastikan kesalinghubungan di kampus semakin baik
Katanya, isu utama mengenai kesalinghubungan di kampus adalah berkaitan jalur lebar talian tetap di dalam bangunan dan asrama.
Pakej jalur lebar RM69 inisiatif terbaik turunkan kos sara hidup
Pakej itu dilihat berpatutan dan memberi peluang kepada golongan rentan yang mahu melanggan pakej Internet pada harga lebih murah.
Kualiti internet menurun, Malaysia masih dalam kedudukan 40 terbaik kesejahteraan digital
Indeks Kualiti Hidup Digital ialah kajian yang dilakukan bagi menilai kualiti kesejahteraan digital di 117 negara atau 92 peratus daripada populasi global.
Gagal beri perkhidmatan bermutu, pembekal Internet berdepan tindakan - MCMC
Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia (MCMC) akan mengenakan tindakan kawal selia terhadap pembekal yang didapati gagal menyediakan perkhidmatan Internet berkualiti.
Rusia hadkan akses terhadap Google News
Sejak bermulanya pencerobohan ke atas Ukraine pada 24 Feb, kerajaan Rusia telah mengetatkan kawalan terhadap maklumat di Internet.
Dewan Rakyat: SKMM buka 20 kertas siasatan terhadap pembekal perkhidmatan mudah alih
Satu kompaun ditawarkan berjumlah RM60,000 manakala satu lagi sedang diproses dengan jumlah sebanyak RM20,000.
Uma Akeh pedalaman Miri sudah ada internet, pelajar boleh PdPR, petani boleh pasarkan produk
Kira-kira 800 penduduk Uma Akeh, Long Lama cukup gembira apabila kawasan perkampungan mereka kini mempunyai capaian jalur lebar.
PRN Sarawak: SOP baik, namun perlu tambahan untuk elak penularan COVID-19 - Dr Malina
Secara keseluruhan, SOP PRN Sarawak adalah baik, namun, masih ada risiko yang perlu diambil kira seperti ceramah dan ziarah dari rumah ke rumah.