Act 792 Amendment Bill seeks to extend coverage to child sexual offences committed abroad

KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 — The Bill to amend the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792) seeks to extend the application of the act to offences committed overseas by individuals with ties to Malaysia.

According to the Bill’s text published on the Parliament website today, the amendment to section 3 of Act 792 provides that offences committed outside Malaysia are punishable under the act if they involve a child who is a Malaysian citizen or a permanent resident.

The amendment further provides that the Act will also apply to sexual offences against children committed overseas by Malaysian citizens or permanent residents.

The proposed substitution of section 3 of Act 792 seeks to expand the extra-territorial application of the Act to offences specified in the Schedule involving child victim committed outside Malaysia, by a permanent resident or a person whose habitual residence is in Malaysia, as well as by any person against a child who is a Malaysian citizen, a permanent resident, or a habitual resident in Malaysia.

The Sexual Offences against Children (Amendment) Bill 2026 was tabled for its first reading in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

She said the Bill would be tabled for its second reading during the current parliamentary sitting. — Bernama