To all stalkers, what you’re doing may (literally) be a crime soon

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 24 — Putrajaya is looking to make stalking a crime by formulating a new set of laws to penalise those who engage in such acts, de facto Law Minister Datuk Liew Vui Keong said.

A statement from Liew's office said that the Law Ministry views the matter seriously and would be engaging with stakeholders, NGOs and the public before coming up with an anti-stalking law.

In an interview with the Thompson Reuters Foundation, Liew pointed out that stalking can have a detrimental effect on victims.

He said that their daily lives would also be affected, with victims losing focus on their work and family lives, and result in them living in fear.

Liew added that current laws do not penalise the act of stalking, as it is difficult to prove, unless the act causes physical harm to a victim.

He reportedly said that the formulation of the stalking law is imperative, with some of the country’s neighbours having enforced a similar law, and immediate action must taken after reports are made to the necessary authorities.

The proposal to make stalking a crime was mooted from the time of Barisan Nasional's (BN) governance, in 2017.

Then Women, Family and Community Development minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim said that the Penal Code and the Domestic Violence Act needed amendments to make the matter a reality.

Two months ago, the Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) urged law enforcers and lawmakers from both sides of the political divide to agree on the need for anti-stalking laws, cautioning on the urgency of the matter.