KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 ― Malaysians should practise moderation when playing the popular smartphone game Pokemon Go, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.

Khairy, who created the FitMalaysia programme to encourage Malaysians to practise a healthy lifestyle, was asked if more people should be encouraged to play the game as a means of getting more exercise.

"Anything that encourages fitness, I like, but let’s not get carried away, I think we have to have everything in moderation ― whether it’s Pokemon, whether it’s food ― not too much of everything,” he told reporters here.

The Pokemon Go phenomenon is based on a 1990s game but updated with the latest technology that uses augmented reality to superimpose virtual creatures onto real world locations, and allows players to view and capture them through their smartphones.

Some players of the game have been reported to be walking more than usual as they moved around for the virtual hunt.

Already downloaded an estimated 100 million times globally, the massive popularity of the game among smartphone users had prompted calls for its ban in Malaysia even before its official release here last weekend.

Critics cited various concerns including possible psychological and social issues stemming from game addiction, religious and safety concerns, as well as worries over potential security breaches.

Several accidents and even a death have been attributed to the people playing the game in various parts of the world.