By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 3: Bandar Kuching MP Kelvin Yii has proposed the introduction of a gaming curfew similar to South Korea’s ‘Shutdown Law’ to address excessive online gaming among minors.
Yii said this in response to a case in Batu Pahat, Johor, where a six-year-old was seriously injured after being attacked by his nine-year-old brother, reportedly influenced by Roblox, an online game platform that is popular among minors.
Early investigations found that the assault was triggered when the younger sibling caused his brother to lose a large amount of points he had accumulated in the game.
“Restricting access to online games after midnight will help curb gaming addiction, improve sleep habits, and encourage healthier daily routines. Malaysia can adapt this model in a balanced way by combining parental controls, age-based limits, and time-based restrictions without completely taking away access to safe and educational games,” he said in a statement.
The Youth Protection Revision Act, commonly known as the ‘Shutdown Law’ or ‘Cinderella Law’, was an Act of the South Korean National Assembly which forbade children under the age of 16 from playing online video games between 12am and 6am.
The legislature passed the law on May 19, 2011, and it went into effect on November 20, 2011, before being abolished in August 2021.
Yii also suggested a dedicated Act to regulate online gaming platforms, not just social media, as the existing legal framework did not take into consideration how gaming platforms could become spaces for violent content, gambling, and even grooming.
“By doing this, platforms such as Roblox and other interactive games will fall within the scope of regulation and be subject to proper safeguards, ensuring that none escape responsibility due to technical loopholes,” he said.
At the same time, Yii also proposed that the government adopt the use of MyDigital ID or tokens verified by the National Registration Department (JPN) for child-user registration, which will ensure that every gaming account created by minors is properly verified while maintaining the privacy and security of personal data.
“The verification process should not expose children’s IC numbers or biometric details to private corporations. Instead, authentication should take place through government-issued digital credentials—giving parents confidence that their children’s identities and data are protected,” he said.
In addition, he also called for transparency reports from gaming companies explaining how they store, process, and use Malaysian children’s data, which will allow both the government and the public to track whether platforms are complying with privacy standards.
Other measures that Yii called for include a ban or limitation on games that contain graphic violence, gambling-like rewards, or unmoderated chatrooms for minors; regulating in-game advertising and purchases; and educating parents about gaming addiction, predatory behaviour, and the use of content moderation tools.
On November 1, Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development Dato Sri Nancy Shukri stated that developers of online games may face appropriate action as the Malaysian government reviews licensing to better control access and content, particularly for children and teenagers. — DayakDaily
