KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 – Between 2020 to 2024, the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) conducted investigations on 238 cases related to the production, possession and dissemination of child pornographic materials under Section 5 to Section 10 of the Sexual Offenses Against Children Act 2017.
The number of cases increased by 119.35 per cent from 2020 to 2024 with the breakdown of cases as follows: 2020 (31 cases), 2021 (44 cases), 2022 (28 cases), 2023 (67 cases) and 2024 (68 cases).
The figures were provided by Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution in a written parliamentary reply yesterday.
He was responding to Hulu Selangor MP, Mohd Hasnizan Harun, who wanted to know the efforts the government is taking to understand the scope of the child pornography problem.
Mohd Hasnizan also wanted to know what measures the government has taken to increase cooperation with authorities and international bodies in combating the issue of child pornography more effectively.
Saifuddin said the D11 unit, which is the Sexual, Women and Children’s Crimes Investigations Division, was previously severely understaffed, especially in comparison to the number of cases that were increasing annually.
However, since 2022, the D11 has been strengthened with the addition of 100 new positions.
He added that criminals use a variety of technologies to hide their activities, making detection more difficult.
“Therefore, training to improve the competence of officers and members of the D11 unit have been implemented from time to time to strengthen the quality of investigation and case handling.”
Lack of communication and cooperation between countries can hinder efforts to combat this crime, said the minister, who added that the D11 unit also cooperates with international enforcement agencies in the sharing of intelligence, information and capacity development in dealing with threats.
Finally, he said the D11 unit, in collaboration with various departments and agencies, has been raising public awareness of the dangers of child pornography and encouraging victims to report cases.
“These steps are important to ensure the safety and the well-being of children as well as to prevent sexual crimes from continuing to happen.”
Last month, two men pleaded guilty in a Johor Baru Sessions and Magistrate’s Court for possessing child pornography.
Lim Xin Yi, 31, was charged with having 2,172 photographs and 400 videos of sexual abuse against children, on two different computers, while Goh Kien Yoong, 37, was charged with having 211 photos depicting sexual abuse against children on a laptop.
They were both fined RM5,000 in default of imprisonment.
Also last month, Mohamad Reizal Dagang, 40, received a similar fine of merely RM5,000 for being the administrator of a Facebook group named Group Budak-Budak Sekolah (School Children Group), where members could post child sexual abuse materials (CSAM), and obscene images and videos of children were shared.
The fines, which were considered paltry in comparison to the gravity of the offense, resulted in public outcry online and called into question Malaysia’s commitment to combating child pornograpy.
All the offenders were charged under Section 10 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, which provides imprisonment of not more than five years and a fine of not more than RM10,000 or both upon conviction.
