The draft legislation was read by minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman.
It covers several areas such as offences related to pornography that victimises underage children, sexual grooming and sexual assault.
The act would protect all children under the age of 18.
The act would also potentially allow Malaysians who commit an offence overseas to be dealt with as though the offence had been committed in the country.
For the offence related to child pornography, those convicted of developing, producing or directing child sex materials are liable to be punished with a maximum jail sentence of 30 years and at least six strokes of the rotan.
Those who exchange, publish, promote, sell, deliver and receive any materials related to child pornography could be jailed for up to 15 years and be whipped three times.
In addition to that, individuals who access or possess any materials involving child pornography can be imprisoned for up to five years or be fined up to RM10,000 or both.
For wrongdoings related to sexual communication with children, with intent to commit an offence, the punishment upon conviction would be a maximum jail sentence of five years with whipping.
However, the bill does not consider it an offence if the communication is for purposes of education, science or medicine.
Anyone found guilty of indecent actions involving touching a part of a child’s body, making a child touch any part of another person’s body, or making the child touch his or her own body would face a jail sentence of up to 20 years or receive whipping.
The bill allows the courts to collect necessary information without the consent of any child if the victim is a child. The child should however be determined to have adequate intelligence and understand his or her obligation to tell the truth.
The bill also does not exempt whipping for men aged more than 50.