PUTRAJAYA is discussing a new law to protect the monarchy from attacks and insults as it feels that the current penalties are inadequate, said Liew Vui Keong.

The de facto law minister said that the government has been discussing the new law since last October, and it is expected to be tabled in Parliament this year.

“The cabinet is looking into the law. We are having follow-up meetings with all parties to look at the laws we need to repeal and amend,” Liew said today.

He said the new law will look into the penal aspects because “at this moment the punishments for certain offences against the monarchy are a bit on the low side”.

Liew said that even the Sedition Act, which was passed in 1948, carried punishments that were not up to par with today’s conditions.  

The call for new laws with severe punishments has increased in recent days, as a number of people took to social media to insult Sultan Muhammad V, who resigned as Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sunday.

So far, at least four people have either been sacked, suspended or resigned from their jobs after being accused of insulting Sultan Muhammad.

The police have arrested at least three of them for investigations under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act.

If convicted, the first-time offenders may be fined not more than RM5,000, jailed for not more than three years, or both.

The police also questioned politician Mohd Tamrin Abdul Ghafar for three hours over two blog posts relating to Sultan Muhammad earlier this week.

Yesterday, Malay rights group Perkasa called on Putrajaya to pass a lèse-majesté law with punishments of mandatory jailing and whipping.

They are looking at a law similar to Thailand’s lèse-majesté law, which forbids anyone from insulting the monarchy.

Under Section 112 of the Thai Criminal Code, those who defame, insult, or threaten the king, queen, heir-apparent, or regent will be punished with a jail term of between three and 15 years.

Liew said the government wanted to ensure that the monarchy is not open to baseless attacks.

“We must protect the royalty from irresponsible people,” he said. – January 10, 2019.