Malaysia Addressing Cyberbullying After Death of TikToker

0:00

/1861

1×

Facts

• Malaysia announced on Tuesday that authorities are drafting amendments to the penal code to criminalize cyberbullying as well as a new law to hold internet providers liable.¹
• This comes as TikTok user Rajeswary Appahu was found dead from an apparent suicide on July 5, reportedly just a day after filing a police report over online threats.²
• Also on Tuesday, two people pledged guilty to charges under the Communications and Multimedia Act and Minor Offenses Act in connection with the harassment of the influencer who was known as Esha.³
• A 44-year-old man identified as B. Sathiskumar faces a potential one-year jail sentence and a fine of up to 50K Malaysian ringgit ($10.7K), while a 34-year-old woman named P. Shalini was fined 100 Malaysian ringgit ($21).³
• Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil expressed disappointment with the relatively low fine imposed on Shalini, stressing the importance of setting appropriate penalties for cyberbullying.⁴
• Meanwhile, TikTok Malaysia claimed to be improving its moderation technology and community guidelines to better protect users against cyberbullying — including accelerating detection and taking preventive actions.⁵

Sources: ¹South China Morning Post, ²Time, ³Free Malaysia Today, ⁴The Star and ⁵Daily Express.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Sun. This tragic incident highlights the devastating impact of cyberbullying and the urgent need for strict laws to curb it. Malaysia lacks adequate cyber safety awareness, education, and legislation, making its citizens vulnerable to online harassment and other crimes. It's vital to establish a dedicated national cyber safety agency and a support center for cybercrime victims.
• Narrative B, as provided by Research Gate. While this tragedy was completely avoidable and must be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted to the fullest, caution is also warranted in terms of a national approach as claims of cyberbullying can be exaggerated. There's no empirical evidence that this phenomenon has increased dramatically in recent years and, given such uncertainties, Malaysian authorities would be better served by taking a nuanced approach to the problem.

Predictions