COMMENT | On July 9, 2024, the Penal Code (Amendment) bill 2024 was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat for the first reading.

The very next day, the bill was discussed and debated with little time given to scrutinise it, and to our horror, the amendments were expressly passed.

The bill seeks to introduce a new offence that will affect all bank accounts holders in Malaysia. It is understood that the bill was tabled with the purpose of combating online scammers and fraudsters.

The proposed Section 424B is as follows:

“Whoever, directly or indirectly, without lawful authority or lawful purpose, gives possession or control of his payment instrument or his account at a financial institution to any other person, shall be punished with fine of not less than RM10,000 but not exceeding RM100,000 or with imprisonment for a term of not less than one year but not exceeding seven years or both.”