Malaysia’s Dewan Negara (Senate) passed the Sexual Offences Against Children (Amendment) Bill 2026 on July 23, extending legal jurisdiction over child sexual offences committed outside Malaysia by persons connected to the country [1, 2, 3].

The amendment revises the 2017 Sexual Offences Against Children Act (Act 792), broadening its territorial scope to cover offences committed abroad by individuals with a substantial connection to Malaysia [2, 3, 4]. Deputy Minister M. Kulasegaran said, "Malaysia cannot rely on a limited jurisdictional framework. This amendment ensures that any individual with a substantial connection to Malaysia cannot evade legal action simply because the offence was committed abroad" [1].

Child sexual crime cases involving foreign nationals in Malaysia surged 117% from 1,095 cases in 2021 to 2,385 cases in 2025. The number of foreign suspects also rose from 67 in 2021 to 148 in 2025, mostly Indonesians, Bangladeshis, Myanmar, and Pakistani nationals [1, 2, 3, 4].

Kulasegaran highlighted the growing complexity of such crimes due to technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), making offences more transnational. He said investigations now focus on establishing digital links through valid evidence and forensic analysis with an unbroken chain of custody [1, 4].

The Royal Malaysia Police have identified five key digital forensic areas to combat child sexual abuse material and AI-generated deepfake content. These include analyzing AI models, examining system logs, tracing IP addresses, validating data integrity via hash values, seizing and preserving evidence, collecting telecommunications and online platform records, and preparing expert forensic reports [1, 2, 3, 4].

Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said the amendment sends a clear message that Malaysia will not tolerate or compromise on exploitation and harm against children [1, 2, 3].

The bill was previously approved by the Dewan Rakyat (Lower House) on June 30, completing the legislative process [2, 3]. With the Senate’s approval, the amendment now moves toward implementation to enhance Malaysia’s capacity to prosecute cross-border child sexual offences.