KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — Mechanisms are being worked out to monitor news portals and social media for sedition, the Communications and Multimedia Ministry said.

Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said amendments to the Sedition Act 1948 were passed on Friday.

They include stricter control over social media users, bloggers and news portals, which means the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998 would also need to be amended, the minister said.

“I assure you these amendments will only be tabled in Parliament after we engage with all relevant bodies, including NGOs.”

“We will hold discussions with them, and take their views and feedback into consideration when preparing the Bill,” he said yesterday after officiating Pasarnita@Tom’s Bazaar at the Publika mall here.

Ahmad Shabery said the main objective of the amendment was to ensure social media was not used to abuse anyone.

He said it was not just the government that was a victim of irresponsible social media users but the people too.

“We need new measures to stop those who use the medium to break the law,” he said.

He said the ministry was looking for an effective mechanism to regulate social media because monitoring and acting based on complaints was not adequate.

“There is no way for us to monitor every single posting on the Internet. We don’t have the manpower,” he said.

Therefore, the amendment to the CMA must address all these details, he said.

Amendments to the Sedition Act include allowing for court orders to take down online publications guilty of sedition.

The Act also introduced Section 10A, which prevents access to a seditious publication if the perpetrator is not identified.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the amendments were necessary given the increase in sedition-related cases which, if not dealt with, could disrupt national harmony.