MALAYSIA: Sexual abuse in Malaysia remains a significant problem, with reported child sexual offences rising to 1,567 cases in 2023. Online exploitation is also a massive issue, with hundreds of thousands of Malaysian children estimated to encounter or be subjected to online sexual abuse annually.
The country is taking steps to curb such abuses, and this week, the courts were given the power to prosecute some sexual offences against children committed overseas. This extends the reach of its law beyond national borders as abuse allegations increasingly cross countries, devices and jurisdictions.
On Tuesday, the parliament passed the Sexual Offences Against Children (Amendment) Bill 2026. It extended criminal jurisdiction to sexual offences against children committed abroad by permanent residents and individuals who habitually reside in the country.
Nevertheless, what gained attention on social media was the politicians trading barbs on social abuses in the country in their speeches and debates in the August House (Parliament).
Allegations flew that Kelantan – a state run by the Islamists from Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) – recorded a high number of sexual crime cases against children.
The chaos erupted when Datuk Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (Perikatan Nasional [PN] PAS-Pasir Mas) mentioned allegations by RSN Rayer (Pakatan Harapan-Democratic Action Party [PH DAP]-Jelutong) that sexual cases in Kelantan involving children were at a worrying level.
Fadhli defended the administration in Kelantan, arguing that the allegation was not supported by official statistics and contradicted data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
“Never in the statistics of the Department of Statistics Malaysia has Kelantan emerged as the highest state in any sexual crime involving children.
“Quoting media here and there without any statistics is an academic crime that should not be committed by a Member of Parliament, and this is cheap politics to campaign for the Johor State Election (PRN),” he said.
Rayer defended his statement, saying that he was only referring to local media reports and did not intend to mislead the House.
On Monday, Rayer, when debating the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill 2025, was reported to have asked the government to explain steps to address the increase in sexual crime cases against children.
“My question to the Deputy Minister was why the government is not focusing on reducing sexual offences against children, which are becoming more rampant in Kelantan, and what the government’s action is. That is my question, not lying,” he said.
Other PN members urged the MPs not to politicise the issue.
A former Minister who is an MP for Perikatan Nasional in the current parliamentary term, Radzi Jidin, said based on the DOSM report dated May 15, 2024, Selangor recorded the highest number of sexual crime cases due to its large population, but the issue should not be viewed by the state alone.
“This child sexual crime happens in any state. We focus on how to solve it; no need to politicise it. Jelutong, close the book,” he said.
