FINANCE Minister Lim Guan Eng agreed that stiffer penalties should be imposed on those who insult religions. 

Lim said all religions should be respected. 

“If there are steps to provide heavier penalties, that should be supported to ensure we live in harmony,” he said in Putrajaya today. 

Lim said freedom of expression should not involve insulting anyone over their religious beliefs. 

“That kind of ‘freedom’ is not right. It allows for slander and is degrading,” he added. 

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa had earlier said amendments are being proposed for the Penal Code (Act 574) to provide heavier penalties for those who insult religions. 

Mujahid had said the proposed amendments are expected to be brought up in a cabinet meeting before being tabled at a Dewan Rakyat sitting next month.

Meanwhile, two individuals have been charged under Section 298A(1) of the Penal Code for causing disharmony, disunity or feelings of enmity, hatred and ill will on grounds of religion among the people of different religions in the country. 

On Tuesday, factory worker A. Taneson, 22, was charged in the Shah Alam magistrates’ court with insulting Prophet Muhammad on Facebook last week.

He was charged with posting the allegedly insulting comments on a Facebook page under the name Sarkar Tanesan about 11.40am on February 19.

Wai Foo Sin, 68, claimed trial to two charges the following day at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for posting an offensive caricature of the Prophet Muhammad and his wife, Aishah, on social media.

His second charge comes under the Communications and Multimedia Act for making an offensive post. – February 28, 2019.