PUTRAJAYA: The government is deliberating the possibility of enacting a new law relating to the intrusion of an individual’s privacy.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said they were hoping to do this alongside the proposed anti-stalking law.
He said the move was in light of the recent viral sex clips involving two male individuals which was allegedly linked to Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.
"We all have our privacy. We want to make sure that our privacy is protected and it can't be intruded upon. Therefore, I am looking into the laws involving intrusion into the privacy of others ," he told reporters at a get-together event hosted by the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) here today.
Liew who is in charge of law portfolio said the government was also fine-tuning the provisions involving the anti-stalking law following the viraling of the sex video clips.
He said they were looking at broadening the meaning and definition of stalking, which may include tailing or shadowing a person, putting certain video equipment in rooms to record the person's activities and infringing that person’s privacy.
"It is high time we looked into this because there are a lot of such offences lately,” he said.
Liew cited instances where a boyfriend takes a photo of his girlfriend and threatens to make it public via social media platform.
He said a committee had been formed to study the legal provisions involving intrusion of privacy and stalking.
"We have to protect the society as a whole ... we don’t want these people to take the law into their own hands and do all kind of havoc by using such technologies," he said.
In February, Liew announced that a bill on anti-stalking law would be forwarded to the Attorney General's Chambers for review and also to the Cabinet for its approval.
He said the bill was expected to be tabled in Parliament this year.
Last Tuesday, a WhatsApp group blasted off several video clips of two men involved in a sexual tryst.
The following day, PKR Santubong Youth chief Muhammad Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz admitted that it was him in the video and alleged that the other person was Azmin.
Azmin however vehemently denied the allegations, saying it was part of a plot to destroy his reputation, character and political career.
Haziq, who has since been suspended from his official duties by Deputy Primary Industries Minister Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin, was nabbed by police as he was about to board a flight to Manila at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport last Friday at about 6pm.