Will permanent residents be prosecuted under Act 792 for abroad cases?

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Yes, permanent residents would fall under Act 792 for certain offences committed abroad.

The Bill to amend the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 would extend the law’s reach beyond Malaysia to cover offences committed overseas by permanent residents. It also states that offences committed outside Malaysia are punishable if they involve a child who is a Malaysian citizen or a permanent resident.
The amendment expressly includes permanent residents in overseas cases

The proposed change to section 3 says the Act would apply to sexual offences against children committed overseas by Malaysian citizens or permanent residents. That means permanent residents are not excluded from the extra-territorial scope set out in the Bill.
The overseas offence must involve a child victim covered by the Act

The text also expands coverage to offences involving a child victim committed outside Malaysia by a permanent resident or a person whose habitual residence is in Malaysia. It further applies to offences by any person against a child who is a Malaysian citizen, a permanent resident, or a habitual resident in Malaysia.
The Bill has already been tabled in the Dewan Rakyat

The Sexual Offences against Children (Amendment) Bill 2026 was tabled for its first reading in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday by Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said. She said it would be tabled for its second reading during the current parliamentary sitting.

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Will permanent residents be prosecuted under Act 792 for abroad cases?

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