KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 — As cases of online child exploitation surge globally, Malaysia is pushing for deeper cooperation among Asean countries to tackle the digital threats facing children today.
Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said the pandemic-driven spike in internet usage has made children far more vulnerable to online abuse and grooming, demanding coordinated action across borders.
She was speaking at the Asean ICT Forum on Child Online Protection, which was officiated this morning by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. The forum, co-hosted by Unicef, Asean and her ministry, brings together regional policymakers, NGOs, tech experts and youth representatives for two days to align strategies in protecting children in cyberspace.
“Whatever happens here can easily happen across the region,” Nancy said.
“That’s why the regional plan of action is crucial. We need to synchronise policies, laws and interventions — because predators don’t operate within borders.”
She said Malaysia’s own National Child Protection Policy is guided by four core objectives — survival, development, protection and participation — and backed by 16 strategic priorities and an upcoming action plan to be tabled in Parliament.
Among the urgent reforms are legal amendments to define and address bullying — both physical and cyber — which currently lack clear definitions under Malaysian law.
“We’re moving quickly on this. A tribunal for bullying, modelled on our anti-sexual harassment tribunal, is being worked on right now by Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman,” she said.
Nancy also expressed concern over rising exploitation cases, though official data is pending from the police.
“Reports are up, and that could be from rising awareness — or just more opportunities for predators online. Parents and teachers must be equipped with updated knowledge. Children too must be empowered safely.”
She said youth aged 15 to 24 are especially at risk, with as many as 14 to 16 per cent neither in employment, education nor training — a vulnerable group both offline and online.
Meanwhile, Unicef regional child protection advisor Robert Gass said the number of online child exploitation cases worldwide is nearing one million annually, and South-east Asia — being one of the most digitised regions — could face an even steeper climb.
“This is not something one country can fix alone,” he said.
“We need a whole-of-society, whole-of-region approach. Asean’s leadership in this space is timely and critical.”
Gass said the forum underlined the need for proactive, not reactive, measures — involving governments, tech companies, civil society, parents and children themselves.
“We must move beyond responding to incidents. We’ve got to build systems that prevent them before they happen.”
The event will conclude tomorrow evening.
