The Malaysian Penal Code has been updated to include specific sections (507B to 507G) to criminalise certain bullying behaviours, especially harassment, intimidation, and doxing (revealing someone’s personal info without consent).
These laws apply both offline and online, so yes, what you say or post on social media can also be punishable too (good luck to all keyboard warriors).
Here’s the breakdown of the new sections (to the best of my understanding):
🔸 507B – Causing Harassment, Distress, Fear or Alarm
If you use threatening, abusive, or insulting words or actions to make someone feel unsafe, scared, or emotionally disturbed, you can be jailed up to 3 years, fined, or both.
🔸 507C – Making Someone Feel Harassed
Even if you didn’t mean it, if your words or actions were seen or heard and someone reasonably felt harassed or fearful, you can be jailed up to 1 year, fined, or both.
You can defend yourself if you genuinely didn’t know your actions would affect anyone.
🔸 507D – Causing Fear of Harm or Provoking Harm
If you do or say things that make someone believe they (or others) will be harmed or provokes them to hurt themselves or others, you can be jailed up to 1 year, fined, or both.
But… if someone ends up attempting suicide or dies from this provocation, the jail term increases up to 10 years.
🔸 507E – Doxing That Harasses
Publishing someone’s identity info (photos, address, phone number, etc.) with intent to harass or cause distress is punishable by 3 years’ jail, a fine, or both.
Example: Posting your ex’s intimate photos out of revenge.
🔸 507F – Doxing That Threatens Harm
If you publish someone’s personal info to make them feel they’ll be harmed or help others to find and hurt them, that’s a crime too. You could be jailed up to 1 year, fined, or both.
Example: Telling loan sharks where someone’s hiding.
🔸 507G – Definitions
• “Harm” means physical, mental, reputation, property, or psychological injury.
• “Identity information” means anything that can identify someone.
• “Related person” means someone the victim cares about e.g. family
Last-last, an important reminder: This is criminal law, not HR policy.
HR can support you and offer a safe space to speak up, but only the police can investigate and take action under this law.
Again, before going to the balai and burning your bridges, make sure you it’s not just a misunderstanding, try to reason calmly, and if you do file a report, prepare solid evidence.
Think carefully, okay…
Be brave, but be wise too.
xoxoxo, AuntyHR
