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Malaysia to take no censorship over internet: PM

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-09-08 14:20

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak said Malaysia will take no censorship over the illegal and immoral activities on the Internet despite rising cyber threats, local media reported Tuesday.

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At the National IT Council (NITC) meeting held on Monday in Putrajaya, the administrative center of Malaysia, Najib said that the provisions for a censorship-free Internet under the Bill of guarantees and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 will always be maintained, the New Straits Times reported.

However, he emphasized that the freedom of speech is not absolute, it must come with responsibility.

He said the Internet has given rise to cyber threats which have become a real concern to the nation and hoped a just completed study would help to enhance legal provisions and policies to deal with such illegal and immoral activities.

"Besides the legal provisions, the civil society must also be made aware of cyber threats causing harm to the country's sovereignty and societal interests," he stressed.

He also hoped the study would effectively address the challenges such as anonymity, cross-border jurisdiction, the evidence-gathering process and clarity of the law.