LETTERS: Cyberbullying is becoming pervasive in schools and workplaces, and is even affecting elite athletes.
Thus, it is imperative that well-defined laws are enacted to protect people from online abuse.
Schools should make it compulsory for students and parents to sign a pledge to refrain from abusive online behaviour, and to report such behaviour to the authorities.
There should be consequences for students who perpetrate online abuse. First offenders should be sent for counselling and further problems should warrant a ban on access to any social media platform.
Those who continue to cyberbully despite these actions shouldbe transferred to a reformative school.
The last resort is to send the student to juvenile court.
Workplaces should have a policy of banning employees from harassing, giving unwanted attention, threatening or spreading of rumours about co-workers.
If there is proof of cyberbullying, it should be cause for terminating the employee.
The abusive comments that some Olympic athletes received on social media have led coaches to advise their charges to turn off their social media platforms before and during competition, as the hostile atmosphere generated by these comments can impact performance.
Recently, Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh condemned the online spreading of doctored pictures of Olympic diver Nur Dhabitah Sabri.
These sexist, racist, transphobic and homophobic online abuse must be stopped.
Our laws must be beefed up to hold cyberbullies to account.
Singapore has enacted a Cybersecurity Act to protect online users from harassment and stalking.
Any person found guilty of an offence can be fined up to S$10,000, jailed up to three years, or both.
Repeat offenders face a higher fine of up to S$20,000, and longer jail time of up to five years.
In India, cyberbullies face a fine up to 300,000 rupees or up to three years' jail.
In Australia, unauthorised impairment of electronic communication is subject to 10 years' imprisonment.
The maximum penalty for using a carrier service to menace, harass or cause an offence is three years' imprisonment. All Australian jurisdictions have laws against cyberstalking.
Malaysia is moving towards criminalising cyberbullying after the case of influencer Rajeswary Appahu.
The government is also drafting a new law to hold online service providers accountable.
The proposed amendments will define the interpretation of cyberbullying.
The stricter laws will hopefully protect Internet users from cyberbullying.
C. SATHASIVAM SITHERAVELLU
Seremban, Negri Sembilan
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times