Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Liew Vui Keong said he had received all the necessary documents pertaining to the bill for study. Once complete, he will forward it to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for review and the Cabinet for approval.

“I am looking at (the possibility of tabling the bill in Parliament) this year. I don’t think we can do it during this (Parliament) session in March because it is a bit too short, but we can look forward to (the sessions in) July and October.

“It can be done quite quickly once the papers are all ready. This is a bill against stalking, peeping and prying,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Asia Regional Conference on women’s political leadership at the Parliament building here today.

He said at present, the authorities were using laws related to criminal intimidation or assault which requires evidence to prove that the suspect touched or intimidated the victim first. The victim, meanwhile, must furnish proof, such as a video clip, to back up their claim.

“Sometimes when a woman is being chased, she cannot record it on camera so she will just go to the police station, but the police will say that there is no solid evidence for them to take action.

“She cannot prove whether the suspect touched or hit her, but you know that when you are being stalked or preyed on by someone, the fear lingers on.

“The suspect can use smartphones, WhatsApp messages and social media to pressure the victim.

“With this new legislation, we won’t have to wait until the suspect touches, hits or does something to the victim. If there’s a pattern, the police can take action,” he said.

Liew also noted a high possibility of the victims suffering severe depression and anxiety disorders, even to the extent of committing suicide.

He said efforts to table the bill were also part of measures to prevent anything from happening to potential victims.

“Let’s not wait for something bad to happen before we act,” he said.