Latest news with #ThiyaguGanesan
The Star
4 days ago
- Politics
- The Star
Strengthening measures against child sexual crimes
ON Aug 11 during Bernama TV's 'Apa Khabar Malaysia' programme, Thiyagu Ganesan, deputy director-general (Law Reform) of the Legal Affairs Division, Prime Minister's Department, outlined a series of measures to protect children from sexual crimes through legislative improvements and more comprehensive implementation strategies. These reforms reflect Parliament's growing recognition that child protection must keep pace with the realities of the digital age. Recent legal milestones are notable. In 2023, the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792) underwent substantive amendments, including replacing the outdated term 'child pornography' with the more accurate 'child sexual abuse material', and introducing offences such as live-streaming of sexual crimes and sexual extortion.
The Star
11-08-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Govt acts on child protection
KUALA LUMPUR: The government is intensifying efforts to safeguard children from sexual crimes through legislative improvements and more comprehensive implementation strategies. These include amendments to the Sexual Offences Against Children Act, the expansion of special criminal courts and ongoing training for legal officers, said Thiyagu Ganesan, deputy director-general (Legal Reform Sector) of the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) under the Prime Minister's Department. He said several key amendments were made to the Act in 2023, which include replacing the term 'child pornography' with 'child sexual abuse material', introducing new offences such as the livestreaming of sexual crimes and sexual extortion, and mandating compensation for victims. 'Additionally, the government has recently passed the Online Safety Act, which places the responsibility on digital platforms to remove child sexual abuse content. 'It also introduces the safety-by-design concept to ensure a safer online environment for children,' he said during an interview on Bernama TV's Apa Khabar Malaysia programme yesterday, as reported by Bernama. To broaden access to justice for victims, Thiyagu noted that the number of Special Courts for Sexual Crimes Against Children has been increased to 81 nationwide, along with the introduction of child-friendly mobile courts. 'These mobile courts are equipped with a child witness room and will travel to where the child is located, eliminating the need for the child to travel to a physical courtroom, which may be distressing,' he said. Thiyagu also underscored the importance of specialised training for prosecutors, judges and lawyers to improve the handling of child-related cases, in line with the 2023 legal reforms regulating the manner in which child witnesses are examined, cross-examined and re-examined in court. He said the BHEUU is actively expanding awareness campaigns related to Section 19 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act, which mandates all individuals to report suspected cases of child sexual crimes to the authorities. Touching on the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) Act, he said amendments in 2023 led to the creation of a full-time position for a chief children's commissioner, along with two children's commissioners and one additional commissioner, all dedicated to strengthening oversight of government policies related to child protection. 'Their role is to provide assistance, commentary and recommendations on government plans and policies, as well as to announce improvements. 'If issues arise, they will actively speak out to ensure continuous progress,' he added.
The Star
11-08-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Govt strengthening legal framework to better protect children from sexual crimes
KUALA LUMPUR: The government is intensifying efforts to safeguard children from sexual crimes through legislative improvements and more comprehensive implementation strategies. These include amendments to the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792), the expansion of special criminal courts, and ongoing training for legal officers, said Thiyagu Ganesan, the deputy director-general (Legal Reform Sector) of the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) under the Prime Minister's Department. He said several key amendments were made to the Act in 2023, which include replacing the term "child pornography" with "child sexual abuse material", introducing new offences such as live-streaming of sexual crimes and sexual extortion, and mandating compensation for victims. "Additionally, the government has recently passed the Online Safety Act 2025, which places the responsibility on digital platforms to remove child sexual abuse content. "It also introduces the safety-by-design concept to ensure a safer online environment for children,' he said during an interview on Bernama TV's Apa Khabar Malaysia programme on Monday (Aug 11). To broaden access to justice for victims, Thiyagu noted that the number of Special Courts for Sexual Crimes Against Children has been increased to 81 nationwide, along with the introduction of child-friendly mobile courts. "These mobile courts are equipped with a child witness room and will travel to where the child is located, eliminating the need for the child to travel to a physical courtroom, which may be distressing,' he said. Thiyagu also underscored the importance of specialised training for prosecutors, judges, and lawyers to improve the handling of child-related cases, in line with the 2023 legal reforms regulating the manner in which child witnesses are examined, cross-examined, and re-examined in court. He said the BHEUU is actively expanding awareness campaigns related to Section 19 of Act 792, which mandates all individuals to report suspected cases of child sexual crimes to the authorities. Touching on the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakan) Act 1999, he said amendments in 2023 led to the creation of a full-time position for a chief children's commissioner, along with two children's commissioners and one additional commissioner, all dedicated to strengthening oversight of government policies related to child protection. "Their role is to provide assistance, commentary and recommendations on government plans and policies, as well as to announce improvements. "If issues arise, they will actively speak out to ensure continuous progress,' he added. – Bernama
Malay Mail
11-08-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Govt launches tougher laws, mobile courts to tackle child sexual crimes and protect victims
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 — The government is intensifying efforts to safeguard children from sexual crimes through legislative improvements and more comprehensive implementation strategies. Deputy director-general (Legal Reform Sector) of the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) under the Prime Minister's Department, Thiyagu Ganesan, said these efforts include the amendments to the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 [Act 792], the expansion of special criminal courts, and ongoing training for legal officers. He said that several key amendments were made to Act 792 in 2023, which include replacing the term 'child pornography' with 'child sexual abuse material', introducing new offences such as live-streaming of sexual crimes and sextortion, and mandating compensation for victims. 'Additionally, the government has recently passed the Online Safety Act 2025 (Act 866), which places the responsibility on digital platforms to remove child sexual abuse content. It also introduces the safety-by-design concept to ensure a safer online environment for children,' he said during an interview on Bernama TV's Apa Khabar Malaysia programme today. To broaden access to justice for victims, Thiyagu noted that the number of Special Courts for Sexual Crimes Against Children has been increased to 81 nationwide, along with the introduction of child-friendly mobile courts. 'These mobile courts are equipped with a child witness room and will travel to where the child is located, hence eliminating the need for the child to travel to a physical courtroom, which may be distressing,' he explained. Thiyagu also underscored the importance of specialised training for prosecutors, judges, and lawyers to improve the handling of child-related cases, in line with the 2023 legal reforms regulating the manner in which child witnesses are examined, cross-examined, and re-examined in court. He said the BHEUU is actively expanding awareness campaigns related to Section 19 of Act 792, which mandates all individuals to report suspected cases of child sexual crimes to the authorities. Touching on the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) Act 1999, he said amendments in 2023 led to the creation of a full-time position for Chief Children Commissioner, along with two Children Commissioners and one additional Commissioner, all dedicated to strengthening oversight of government policies related to child protection. 'Their role is to provide assistance, commentary, and recommendations on government plans and policies, as well as to announce improvements. If issues arise, they will actively speak out to ensure continuous progress,' he added. — Bernama
The Sun
11-08-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Malaysia strengthens child protection laws with mobile courts and legal reforms
KUALA LUMPUR: The government is intensifying efforts to protect children from sexual crimes through legal reforms and comprehensive implementation strategies. Key amendments to the Child Sexual Crimes Act 2017 in 2023 include renaming child pornography as child sexual abuse material and introducing new offences like live-streaming sexual crimes. Deputy Director-General (Legal Reform Sector) of the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) Thiyagu Ganesan highlighted the Online Safety Act 2025, which mandates digital platforms to remove child sexual abuse content. He emphasised the introduction of 'safety by design' to ensure children's online security during an interview on Bernama TV's Apa Khabar Malaysia programme. To improve access to justice, 81 specialised Child Sexual Crime Courts have been established nationwide, alongside child-friendly mobile courts. Thiyagu explained that mobile courts feature child witness rooms and operate near victims to reduce inconvenience. Specialised training for prosecutors, judges, and lawyers has been prioritised to enhance child case handling under the 2023 amendments. These amendments regulate examination methods for child witnesses, ensuring fair legal proceedings. BHEUU is expanding awareness campaigns on Section 19, which mandates reporting suspected child sexual crimes to authorities. The SUHAKAM Act 1999 was amended in 2023 to create a full-time Chief Children's Commissioner role and additional commissioners dedicated to child protection. Their role includes advising on government policies and advocating for continuous improvements in child welfare. Thiyagu stressed the importance of these reforms in strengthening checks and balances for child protection policies. - Bernama
