Mandatory whipping for deepfake abusers — a fitting punishment?
Rompin MP argued that harsher penalties are necessary to deter offenders and reflect the lasting psychological harm inflicted on victims.
KUALA LUMPUR – Rompin Member of Parliament (MP) Datuk Abdul Khalib Abdullah has proposed mandatory whipping for those convicted of creating obscene deepfake videos.
He argued that harsher penalties are necessary to deter offenders and reflect the lasting psychological harm inflicted on victims.
Speaking during the debate on the Cyber Crime Bill 2026 in the Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday, Khalib said victims of obscene deepfake content often endure long-term emotional trauma.
"Rompin proposes that offenders behind obscene deepfakes be subjected to mandatory whipping.
"This is because such acts inflict severe psychological harm on victims, who may suffer lifelong trauma," he said.
He added that there have been cases abroad where victims took their own lives after becoming targets of identity falsification in humiliating deepfake-related incidents.
Earlier, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, during the second reading of the Cyber Crime Bill 2026, said the proposed legislation is necessary to ensure Malaysia's domestic laws remain relevant and effective in addressing cybercrime comprehensively.
According to him, the Bill aims to strengthen and establish a robust and resilient legal framework capable of tackling increasingly sophisticated cybercrime.
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