Malaysia Syarie Lawyers Association chief Musa Awang wants a new law specifically to punish those who insult the royal institution and their customs.

Musa ( right ) said even though actions deemed insulting to the rulers are dealt with under the Sedition Act at present, the trend was on the rise.

Therefore, a new and specific law should be drafted so that action can be taken to punish anybody who insults the royal institution, he is quoted as saying in Utusan Malaysia report today.

Musa said this in response to blog postings on the Internet that are claimed to be disrespectful to the late Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak.

Musa said Malaysia can emulate Brunei or Thailand in formulating such a law.

Thailand is well known for its law on lèse majesté , which can land a person in prison for simply having any part in circulating material deemed insulting to the monarch.