What is ACT114A ?
Section 114A is the second of two amendments made to Malaysia’s Evidence Act 1950 and was passed by Dewan Negara on 9 May. The amendment was gazetted on 31 July 2012. This means the law is now operational as enables law enforcement officials to quickly arrest someone accountable for publishing seditious, defamatory, or libelous content to the Internet.
How does ACT114A affect you?
I'm a normal internet users but I become very anxious to use or release everything in the Internet because I have to take full responsibility for my every comment, post at any social networks even more a comment posted by a reader in my blog to avoid false accusations made under Section 114A. It impacts and makes internet users or me lost freedom of expression.
Does it really matter?
Yes, I think it does matter to everyone in Malaysia, such as internet users, those who provide webhosting services or Internet access and others. In other words, you are persumed guilty to publishing defamatory content if the content is traced back to your username, electronic device, and/or WiFi network until proven innocent.
This situation is very dangerous and not fair. For examples, I set up a private Wifi network in my house and any device within 500m of my home can detect my Wifi. The network is password-protected. Then a stranger's computer is within the range of my Wifi network and successfully connects to my network and uses it without my knowledge to post a video about wrongdoing by using a false name.
Will I be persumed guilty? Yes! The wrongfully accused politician wants to sue for defamation. The authorities can identify that the video was published on my private Wifi network. According to Section 114A, I am deemed the publisher and could be sued for a defamatory video I did not post.
Should you be concerned?
Yes, of course because I am a constantly network user. I always forgot to log out my user accounts. The section makes me become worry and fear to use internet because always need to check about the accounts to avoid someone uses my account to post something without my consent. It is giving a lot of troubles to me. Besides that, section 114A seems like do not give any benefits to internet users but it allows the anonymous internet users now are the kings, can post or do anything online by using the account or device which not belonging to them. Malaysia also will become a country that with zero Wifi around soon.
Regards,
Yap Fui Ling
1112702634
Don't you think that it is your responsible for your own social network account usage and avoid lending any of your devices and internet line to someone you not familiar with?
ReplyDeleteYes,it is my responsibility but I think it is hard to take my responsibility if someone wants me to be sued and purposely use it to post illegal article. This situation is not under my control and the section is helping the criminal.
DeleteTo prevent forgetting to logout from any website that require account login, I recommend that the website could set for the auto-logout system like the banking website. By this way, we may at least not too worry about hacking in by forget to logout. For the wifi network system, i think the security should improve for extra protection.
ReplyDeleteTong Weng Foong
Yes, I agree with your suggestion but I think the internet users of another country will complaint the system is inconvenient to them. However,internet users of Malaysia need it to prevent someone posts illegal article or comment by using your account. =(
DeleteWe all usually will log out our account before we close the wedsite at least we forgot to log out. I think the wifi network system must be more stringent protection, For the blog, the user must pay attention to their words and the viewer's comments
ReplyDeleteOverall, we have to become a attentive internet user. It is so uncomfortable for me, such as I still have to check and refer back the each comment posted by my every reader against a article that I posted at any familiar or unfamiliar social network.
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