KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 – The Dewan Rakyat on Thursday passed the Evidence of Child Witness (Amendment) Bill 2024, which includes provisions on the competence of child witnesses to testify in any proceeding.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, presenting the bill for its second reading, stated that its primary objective is to establish better provisions regarding the testimony of child witnesses.
“The United Nations guidelines on justice in matters involving child victims and witnesses of crime clearly state that every child should be considered a competent witness, and their testimony should not be deemed invalid or unreliable based solely on their age,” she said.
Therefore, she emphasised that the Evidence Act 1950, the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, the Oaths and Affirmations Act 1949, the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012, and the Armed Forces Act 1972 also need to be amended to align with the Bill.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill 2024 was also passed during the same session.
The bill aims, among other things, to authorise police officers with a rank of at least Sergeant to seize or prohibit transactions involving funds held or suspected to be held in any payment instrument or account at financial institutions.
