Kuala lumpur: Malaysia calls for stronger and faster regional cooperation to protect children from escalating online threats, as the country unveils a series of national and ASEAN-level initiatives aimed at building a safer digital environment for the region’s youngest users. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said ASEAN must act with courage, clarity and unity as online risks now move faster than government can respond, with predators exploiting artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and cross-border anonymity to target children.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, speaking at the 2025 ASEAN ICT Forum on Child Protection, Ahmad Zahid emphasized that online harm no longer respects borders, remarking that ‘a predator does not need a passport, and a dangerous video does not stop at immigration.’ He further noted that harmful content could swiftly reach all eleven ASEAN countries, underlining the necessity of ASEAN’s collective action.
Ahmad Zahid proposed three region-wide mechanisms to accelerate the collective response. The first is the establishment of the ASEAN Child-Protection Information Exchange Network to enable faster alerts, data sharing, and coordinated responses to online threats. The second mechanism involves a shared Digital Forensic Protocol to streamline evidence exchange and prevent offenders from exploiting jurisdictional gaps. The third proposal is an ASEAN Digital Guardianship Curriculum, which serves as a shared module to build digital resilience, ethics, and online safety skills from early childhood.
Ahmad Zahid highlighted rising regional concern, noting alarming statistics such as 74 per cent of Singaporean internet users aged 15 and above encountering harmful content in 2024, and 33 per cent of Malaysian youth experiencing cyberbullying. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission recorded approximately 9,000 cyberbullying complaints last year, averaging 27 cases a day.
Research also indicates that nearly 70 per cent of ASEAN parents are unaware of the full range of digital risks faced by their children, demonstrating the need for stronger public awareness and regional coordination. During the event, Ahmad Zahid launched the National Child Policy and the National Child Action Plan (2026-2030), reinforcing Malaysia’s commitment to safeguarding children’s safety, dignity, and mental wellbeing in the digital era.
The updated policy strengthens protection against grooming, cyberbullying, sexual exploitation, and emotional harm, while promoting digital literacy, ethical technology use, and resilience among children. The action plan focuses on stronger legislation, enhanced digital forensics, safer school environments, better family support, closer industry cooperation, and wider community mobilisation.
The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that governments must keep pace with evolving risks, emphasizing that although technology evolves rapidly, regional resolve and collective action can advance even faster to keep children safe in the digital environment. The ASEAN ICT Forum on Child Online Protection 2025 brought together 294 participants from ASEAN countries, government agencies, civil society organisations, technology industry players, and international strategic partners, including UNICEF, the ASEAN Secretariat, and the Government of Australia in Kuala Lumpur.