SHAH ALAM, Sept 29 — The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) is working with the Communications Ministry to tackle obscene content created by minors online and to ensure digital payments are not misused.
Its minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said digital platforms must take greater responsibility for harmful content.
She added that enforcement under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 would be used against perpetrators who exploit or manipulate children.
“These cases remind us that children are among the most vulnerable in the digital age. As a government, our responsibility is clear: children must be safeguarded in schools, in the community and online,” she told The Star.
Her response follows reports of children as young as 12 profiting from obscene content uploaded on social media and receiving payments via e-wallets.
Nancy said the Child Act 2001 allows authorities to act where children are neglected or exposed to harm, but said parents remain the first line of defence.
“We must also support parents, many of whom are unprepared to cope with digital challenges.
“This is why the ministry invests in family education, parenting workshops and advocacy programmes like Kasih,” she said.
KPWKM’s Kasih Advocacy Programme, run with the Education Ministry, police and local communities, has expanded to 30 Children’s Activity Centres nationwide.
The programme has so far included 337 schools in 2024 and is targeting another 300 this year.
Nancy said the initiative, together with Kasih Kanak-Kanak, aims to raise awareness on child safety, including online safety, while reinforcing community vigilance.
