Kota bharu: A primary factor contributing to the increase in social problems, including rape, in Kelantan is the lack of supervision and insufficient monitoring of social media usage by parents of teenagers. State Welfare, Family and Women’s Development Committee chairman Rohani Ibrahim highlighted the critical role of parental oversight in mitigating negative behaviours among youth.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Rohani Ibrahim emphasized that peer influence and unrestricted access to unfiltered content are significantly impacting the youth. She cited a recent case where a female student was raped by a man she met through a social media app after traveling a long distance to meet him. This incident underscores the urgent need for collective action involving not only the state government but also the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to tackle the issue effectively.
Kelantan police chief Datuk Mohd Yusoff Mamat previously reported that two 14-year-old female students traveled over 500 kilometres on a motorcycle from Tumpat, Kelantan, to Kulim, Kedah, to meet a man they had never met in person before. The meeting turned tragic when one girl alleged that she was raped by a man in his 30s, whom she had connected with through a social media app.
Rohani urged parents and guardians to adopt a more proactive role in monitoring their children’s activities, including setting time limits for gadget use and offering early education on digital safety. The state government has implemented several initiatives, such as the Rabbani Education Policy in Kelantan Islamic Foundation schools, designed to instill good morals among students. Additionally, the Mawaddah Centre, established in 2022, conducts programmes focused on Islamic teachings and serves as a complaint centre for various social issues, resolving nearly 250 cases last year.
In other developments, Rohani announced that the Karnival Rakyat will take place over four days, starting July 29, at Masjid Jamek Muhammadi, with an expected attendance of approximately 10,000 visitors from Kelantan. The event will feature various programmes, including awards for deserving individuals and an attempt to set a Malaysia Book of Records achievement for the ‘Program Jahit Kasih’, involving 1,000 tailors.