29/01/2026

THURSDAY | JAN 29, 2026

3 ‘MPs must drive legal reforms that reflect digital age’

Nurul Izzah actively involved in Sabah polls: PKR PETALING JAYA: Perak PKR has dismissed concerns over the perceived lack of visibility of the party’s deputy president Nurul Izzah Anwar following the last internal party elections. Perak PKR secretary Mohd Khairol Iwan Mat Khairi said engagement and mobilisation efforts are already in motion and are expected to intensify significantly throughout the year. He said the issue has been raised by some quarters, particularly after party elections concluded about eight months ago, but emphasised that the perception does not reflect the actual level of involvement on the ground. “It is not that the deputy president was absent or inactive,” he said, adding that recent commitments, including the Sabah elections, required focused attention from top leadership. He also said Nurul Izzah was actively involved in Sabah during the campaign period, visiting constituencies contested by PKR and engaging directly with party machinery there. He added that such involvement may not have been widely highlighted on social media or picked up extensively by media platforms, leading to assumptions that her presence was lacking. Addressing claims that the situation has raised concern at the leadership level, Mohd Khairol said party activities and strategic planning are coordinated by the central leadership, with several programmes already in the pipeline. He added that many of the plans were formulated in 2025 but faced delays due to competing priorities, particularly the Sabah elections, which required about two months of concentrated effort from party leaders and organisers nationwide. He also said 2026 is a crucial year for PKR, adding that it is effectively the final full year before the next general election cycle gains momentum. “This year is the best time to fully roll out programmes and activities that were planned earlier. We expect to see the deputy president’s role and involvement functioning at full capacity.” He added that PKR Perak is confident that stronger visibility and engagement from the party’s top leadership would address any lingering doubts among members and supporters,

Ű BY KIRTINEE RAMESH newsdesk@thesundaily.com

o Existing laws increasingly mismatched with modern society and economy: Azalina

community facilities. “We are very confident that if Anwar continues to contest in Tambun, he would win.” He also said Anwar has previously demonstrated his willingness to contest in challenging constituencies, citing his decision to run in Port Dickson and later in Tambun, which was then considered a tough seat for PKR. “Many of us at the state level were worried when he decided to contest in Tambun, which we had lost before. But he said he had to go there to show that if a president could contest and win in a seat we previously lost, why can’t other leaders do the same?” Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. “For court proceedings to be fair, the process must recognise the rights and defences of all parties – perpetrators, victims and platform providers. “You cannot go to court without laws that move in tandem with technological change.” She also said her division is focusing on structural and framework reforms to ensure access to justice keeps pace with technology, rather than amending individual laws under other ministries. She described the convention as the first major criminal law gathering of 2026, held as justice systems worldwide grapple with rapid technological change and evolving crime patterns. Azalina said criminal justice reform must be collective, involving the judiciary, executive, enforcement agencies, legal professionals, academia and civil society, emphasising that a strong justice system is defined by fairness and credibility, not severity. She added that the government has prioritised reforms such as the Online Safety Act 2025 and is considering new Penal Code provisions to address the misuse of artificial intelligence, including deepfakes and digital impersonation, in line with global best practices. She also said meaningful reform ultimately depends on MPs accepting that change is unavoidable. “For Cabinet approval and legal amendments to happen, MPs must accept that the world is changing. If we don’t keep moving forward, we will be left behind.” She expressed optimism that bipartisan support for amendments involving online harm and sexual offences would allow several “quick win” reforms to be tabled by the second half of the parliamentary session. “This is about changing the way we do things, not politics. “We have to work together to ensure our laws are ready for the future.”

KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said MPs must urgently accept and drive legal reforms to reflect the realities of the digital age, or risk leaving Malaysia with a justice system that no longer matches technological and economic developments. She said many existing laws were drafted decades ago, some even before Independence in 1957 and the formation of Malaysia in 1963, and are increasingly misaligned with a society and economy driven by digital systems. Speaking at a press conference after officiating at the Convention on Criminal Justice and Legal Reforms 2026, she emphasised that lawmakers must recognise the scale of change taking place, not only within criminal justice but also across civil and commercial law. “Today, it’s not only crime that

is not equipped to accept and evaluate digital evidence. She also said Malaysia could learn from other jurisdictions, including India, which has begun adjusting its laws to keep pace with technological developments. “We may be different, but (our) similarities are more than the differences. We learn from countries that have started adapting their laws to digital systems to improve our own.” Azalina said one growing concern involves online harm and sexual offences, in which responsibility increasingly extends beyond perpetrators to platform providers. She added that existing and proposed laws place accountability on platforms that fail to act, an area currently being studied by the

has gone digital. Civil matters such as contracts, goods and services, transactions and even banking are now largely digital,” she said, adding that the situation has fundamentally changed how evidence, liability and the burden of proof should be assessed in court. She added that courts are increasingly confronted with challenges such as deepfakes, digital impersonation and online sexual offences, in which existing legal frameworks struggle to determine authenticity and accountability. “Can you imagine going to court and having to prove beyond reasonable doubt something that looks like you, sounds like you, speaks like you – but it’s not you?” she said, adding that judges cannot fairly assess such cases if the law

Azalina poses for a photograph during the convention at the Asian International Arbitration Centre in Kuala Lumpur. – MASRY CHE ANI/THESUN “In 2026, the party will move forward with more structured and visible activities, and leadership engagement will be more evident across the board.” Several quarters in PKR have expressed frustration towards Nurul Izzah after she defeated former deputy president Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli in last year’s PKR election. – By Ikhwan Zulkaflee Party confident of Anwar defending Tambun seat in GE16

Ű BY IKHWAN ZULKAFLEE newsdesk@thesundaily.com

“Anwar is a statesman. He is not someone who is tied to contesting only in one particular parliamentary seat for the sake of safety.” He acknowledged that if Anwar were to contest elsewhere, some might accuse him of abandoning Tambun, while others might claim he is seeking an easier win. However, Khairul Iwan said developments made in Tambun under Anwar’s leadership as prime minister speak louder than rumours. He added that numerous projects, maintenance works, development initiatives and allocations have been channelled to Tambun, including significant funding for schools and

almost every month. He also pointed to statements by Anwar, which repeatedly urged PKR’s party machinery in Tambun to continue strengthening their groundwork in the area. However, Ashraf acknowleged that political strategies could evolve depending on timing and circumstances, adding that major decisions are often finalised closer to election periods. Meanwhile, Perak PKR secretary Mohd Khairul Iwan Mat Khairi echoed similar sentiments, emphasising that Anwar should be viewed as a national leader who is not bound to contest only in so-called “safe seats”.

Perak PKR Youth chief and Tambun PKR Youth Division chief Ashraf Kahasani said hearsay that Anwar may be looking for another seat, including claims that he could contest elsewhere such as a “safer” or alternative constituency, should be viewed as speculative narratives. “From the ground, our focus has always been to work as best as possible in the Tambun parliamentary constituency,” he told theSun. He also highlighted that political allies and party machinery have consistently intensified their presence in Tambun, including frequent visits by key leaders and regular grassroots programmes

PETALING JAYA: Perak PKR has expressed confidence that party president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would defend the Tambun parliamentary seat in the 16th general election (GE16), dismissing speculation that he may shift to another constituency. Party leaders said there is no indication that Anwar intends to leave Tambun, adding that ongoing grassroots work, development projects and political engagement in the constituency clearly point to his continued commitment.