KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat yesterday passed the Evidence of Child Witness (Amendment) Bill 2024, which includes provisions on the competence of child witnesses to testify in any proceeding.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker, Tan Sri Johari Abdul, announced that the bill was passed by a majority after a debate among 15 Members of Parliament from both the government and opposition blocs.
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.
“The proposed amendments indeed reflect the MADANI Government’s political commitment to continue reforming our country’s laws in line with current developments and international standards,” she said.
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. The Dewan Rakyat session will resume on Monday. – BERNAMA
