Police to do random checks for cellphone porn

Malaysia has authorised police officers to carry out random checks and detain people with pornographic images found on their cellphones.

Phone shop operators who provide downloading services for porn could also be charged for its possession, which is illegal in this Southeast Asian country, the New Straits Times reported.

The offence carries a maximum punishment of five years in prison and 50,000 ringgit ($19,350) in fines.

Deputy Internal Security Minister Noh Omar said the decision was in response to an earlier news report in the Malay-language tabloid Harian Metro that teenagers were recording images of mass sex parties and distributing them using their video-enabled mobile phones.