KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 — It’s time to stop treating online predators as a distant threat, says Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Speaking at the launch of the Asean ICT Forum on Child Online Protection today, Ahmad Zahid warned that regional governments are dangerously behind on tackling rapidly evolving digital exploitation methods.

“Artificial intelligence now enables predators to clone voices, create deepfake images, manipulate children’s identities — all from behind a screen, without ever being in the same room,” he said in his keynote address, calling on Asean to “confront this challenge with courage, clarity, and unity”.

The two-day forum, held at the Hilton Kuala Lumpur, brings together ministerial delegates, law enforcers, UN agencies and tech specialists to develop a framework for child online safety.

This year’s Asean ICT Forum, co-hosted by Unicef, Asean and the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, is pitching three major proposals as part of a coordinated regional push.

“Online harm has no borders. A predator doesn’t need a passport,” Zahid said.

“One harmful post can reach 11 Asean countries in minutes. That’s why collective action isn’t optional — it’s essential.”

He proposed an Asean Child Protection Information Exchange Network to speed up cross-border alerts and cooperation, a shared Digital Forensics Protocol to streamline evidence gathering and prosecution of offenders across jurisdictions, and an Asean Digital Guardianship Curriculum to equip children with early digital literacy and resilience.

The urgency, he said, is clear in the numbers.

“In Malaysia alone, the Communications and Multimedia Commission recorded around 9,000 cyberbullying complaints in 2024 — roughly 27 a day,” Zahid said.

Surveys also show one in three youths in Malaysia have experienced bullying online.

Across Asean, nearly 70 per cent of parents are unaware of the full range of digital risks their children face, he added.

“Before, parents taught children to look left and right before crossing the road. Today, they need to teach them to stay alert on screens,” he said.

“The danger is now invisible — and moving faster than our current safeguards.”

Zahid also used the opportunity to launch Malaysia’s updated National Child Policy and National Child Action Plan (2026–2030), describing it as a major upgrade to the country’s child protection framework.

“The principle is clear: we must protect children without limiting their potential. We don’t want to disconnect them from technology — we want to empower them to use it safely,” he said, outlining measures covering stronger laws, improved digital forensics, school-based training, industry partnerships and community engagement.

The forum comes after Malaysia, as Asean Chair, prioritised family welfare and social resilience in several regional engagements this year, including conferences on ageing and women’s security.

“For too long, we have assumed we are powerless against digital threats but technology may move fast — our resolve must move faster,” he said in closing.