By Amanda L
KUCHING, May 24: The Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM) has voiced support for the Online Safety Act (ONSA) 2025, with Minister Dato Sri Nancy Shukri saying stronger measures are needed to protect children from growing online threats, including cyberbullying, sexual exploitation and grooming.
Speaking to reporters after officiating the Rhythm-Ritma Kehidupan Harmoni: Program Sihat Warga Emas here today, she said the legislation introduced under the Communications Ministry comes at a crucial time as more children are being exposed to harmful online activities.
She stressed that awareness among both children and parents is important, particularly in helping young users recognise cyberbullying and inappropriate online behaviour.
“We can now see more information being shared on social media about what constitutes bullying, including the words or actions involved. These are things children need to understand,” she said.
The minister noted that some children may suffer emotional distress after being bullied online without even realising they are victims of bullying.
She said the government’s goal is to ensure children can explore the digital space safely, confidently and in a healthy environment.
Nancy added that protecting children online requires cooperation from all parties, including government agencies, parents, communities and digital platform providers.
“This cannot be approached solely from the government side. The community also has an important role to play,” she said.
It was previously reported that the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has introduced two new codes prohibiting children under the age of 16 from registering social media accounts by requiring government-issued documents to be uploaded for age verification.
Deputy Minister of Communications Teo Nie Ching said the new Child Protection Code (CPC) and Risk Mitigation Code (RMC), introduced under ONSA, place responsibility on platforms to better safeguard children’s welfare online, which will be effective June 1. — DayakDaily
