Latest news with #KIS
Sinar Daily
6 days ago
- Sinar Daily
Children at risk as digital threats rise with CSAM
SHAH ALAM – The ever-advancing digital world has created vast new risks for children, including the circulation of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). CSAM can be referred to any form of content, images, videos, illustrations, or digitally manipulated visuals, that depict the sexual abuse of children. According to Malaysian Cyber Consumer Association (MCCA) president Siraj Jalil, the CSAM threat is now considerably more hidden and difficult to detect, as it spreads through various means including social media, gaming apps and covert platforms like the dark web. Malaysian Cyber Consumer Association (MCCA) president, Siraj Jalil 'CSAM is not a foreign issue. It happens here, inside the phones and computers of our children. Society's silence only gives predators more room to operate,' he told Sinar. He further stated that those who possess, distribute or create CSAM can face severe legal consequences, including up to 30 years' imprisonment under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017. Additionally, Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 outlines penalties for distributing immoral content, including a RM50,000 fine or up to a year in prison. Notably, a common tactic used by predators is 'grooming', where trust is gradually built before the act of child exploitation. 'There have been cases where primary school pupils were contacted through online games and asked to send indecent photos. Without parental supervision, these crimes can easily happen. 'Early exposure to digital safety issues like CSAM is critical. Our children must be digitally literate and able to distinguish between safe and dangerous situations,' Siraj said. Thus, he urged parents, teachers and the community to report any suspicious behaviour to authorities or through platforms such as To reinforce this, the government launched the Safe Internet Campaign (KIS), an initiative spearheaded by the Communications Ministry and MCMC. KIS targets primary school children, university students, teachers, parents, senior citizens and the Madani community through talks, exhibitions, training and interactive competitions. He said that the campaign's main activities include the Interactive Internet Safety Module for children under 13, special guides for teachers and parents, and competitions like Choral Speaking and Menu Viral with the theme 'Semak Sebelum Sebar' (Verify Before Sharing). 'The campaign is being carried out in two phases from January 2025 until 2027, involving over 10,000 schools, universities, communities and Digital Economy Centres (NADI) nationwide. 'Key modules highlighted include digital literacy, social media dangers and platform age restrictions. 'KIS also aims to foster a safer digital ecosystem through collaboration with various stakeholders including teachers, parents, NGOs, and grassroots communities,' Siraj added. Alternatively, he reminded the public not to ignore their role and to take all suspicious behaviour involving children seriously. Parents remain unaware Former SK Serting Ilir PTA president Nurulazma Shafiqah Khairul Azhar, pointed out that many parents are unaware of this threat and believe it only occurs through abduction or in foreign countries. Former SK Serting Ilir PTA president, Nurulazma Shafiqah Khairul Azhar 'In reality, it can happen right in their own homes. Once a child uploads a photo on social media without supervision, the risk already exists,' she said. She noted that digital safety issues are rarely discussed at PTA meetings, which typically focus more on academics or discipline. As such, she proposed that schools and PTAs establish Digital Safety Units to draft guidelines and organise awareness campaigns for parents and students. 'Teachers also need training to identify signs of digital exploitation among pupils,' she said. She added further that government efforts must be supported with straightforward, accessible approaches to ensure the message of digital safety reaches all layers of society. CSAM leads to trauma Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) senior lecturer Dr Nurhafizah Mohd Sukor clarified that exposure to CSAM can cause deep emotional trauma both in the short and long term. Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) senior lecturer, Dr Nurhafizah Mohd Sukor 'Children may feel ashamed, afraid, panicked and lose trust in others. If left untreated, these emotional wounds can persist into adulthood. 'Warning signs include behavioural changes, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, becoming withdrawn or increased irritability,' she said. Additionally, she noted that victims may panic when encountering elements resembling the abuser's actions or visuals. 'In the long run, these emotional scars can result in trauma where children experience flashbacks of the abuser's behaviour,' she warned. Ultimately, it is advised for parents to provide emotional support, maintain open communication, and seek professional help if their child exhibits trauma symptoms.
Daily Express
7 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Express
Facebook group sharing indecent images of girls shut down by MCMC
Published on: Sunday, June 15, 2025 Published on: Sun, Jun 15, 2025 By: Bernama Text Size: JOHOR BAHRU: A Facebook group dubbed 'Grup Budak-budak Sekolah Rendah', which allegedly circulated indecent images of teenage girls, has been shut down, said Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching. She said the Ministry of Communications, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), had contacted Meta to disable the Facebook account. Advertisement 'I do not wish to comment further as the investigation is ongoing, but I would like to stress that MCMC will continue to work with the police to take follow-up action and carry out further investigations,' she said after attending a charity sale and cultural performance programme at a shopping mall here today. Social media influencer Mek Yun, 28, whose real name is Wee Yun Nee, had earlier exposed the existence of the group and urged the authorities to act swiftly to curb the spread of immoral content. According to Teo, the MCMC, in collaboration with the police, launched Op Pedo last year, resulting in the arrest of 13 individuals and the discovery of more than 40,000 child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and other pornographic content. Meanwhile, she said the government was actively implementing the Safe Internet Campaign (KIS), targeting students at the primary, secondary and tertiary education levels. 'To date, the MCMC has carried out the programme in 53 schools, involving 11,389 participants comprising pupils, students, teachers and parents. 'Our target from May to August is to implement the KIS in 344 schools nationwide, including at least 20 schools in Johor,' she said. Teo said the campaign focused on educating students about cyberbullying, the importance of personal data security, and the dangers of interacting with strangers online. 'We encourage all interested schools to contact the MCMC office so that we can arrange training sessions and talks on digital safety,' she said. Teo also called on parents to play a role in educating their children on the safe and responsible use of the internet. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
Borneo Post
7 days ago
- Politics
- Borneo Post
Obscene content: ‘Grup Budak-budak Sekolah Rendah' FB page shut down
Teo Nie Ching JOHOR BAHRU (June 15): A Facebook group dubbed 'Grup Budak-budak Sekolah Rendah', which allegedly circulated indecent images of teenage girls, has been shut down, said Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching. She said the Ministry of Communications, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), had contacted Meta to disable the Facebook account. 'I do not wish to comment further as the investigation is ongoing, but I would like to stress that MCMC will continue to work with the police to take follow-up action and carry out further investigations,' she said after attending a charity sale and cultural performance programme at a shopping mall here today. Social media influencer Mek Yun, 28, whose real name is Wee Yun Nee, had earlier exposed the existence of the group and urged the authorities to act swiftly to curb the spread of immoral content. According to Teo, the MCMC, in collaboration with the police, launched Op Pedo last year, resulting in the arrest of 13 individuals and the discovery of more than 40,000 child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and other pornographic content. Meanwhile, she said the government was actively implementing the Safe Internet Campaign (KIS), targeting students at the primary, secondary and tertiary education levels. 'To date, the MCMC has carried out the programme in 53 schools, involving 11,389 participants comprising pupils, students, teachers and parents. 'Our target from May to August is to implement the KIS in 344 schools nationwide, including at least 20 schools in Johor,' she said. Teo said the campaign focused on educating students about cyberbullying, the importance of personal data security, and the dangers of interacting with strangers online. 'We encourage all interested schools to contact the MCMC office so that we can arrange training sessions and talks on digital safety,' she said. Teo also called on parents to play a role in educating their children on the safe and responsible use of the internet. – Bernama
The Sun
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Facebook Group Sharing Teen Images Shut Down by MCMC
JOHOR BAHRU: A Facebook group dubbed 'Grup Budak-budak Sekolah Rendah', which allegedly circulated indecent images of teenage girls, has been shut down, said Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching. She said the Ministry of Communications, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), had contacted Meta to disable the Facebook account. 'I do not wish to comment further as the investigation is ongoing, but I would like to stress that MCMC will continue to work with the police to take follow-up action and carry out further investigations,' she said after attending a charity sale and cultural performance programme at a shopping mall here today. Social media influencer Mek Yun, 28, whose real name is Wee Yun Nee, had earlier exposed the existence of the group and urged the authorities to act swiftly to curb the spread of immoral content. According to Teo, the MCMC, in collaboration with the police, launched Op Pedo last year, resulting in the arrest of 13 individuals and the discovery of more than 40,000 child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and other pornographic content. Meanwhile, she said the government was actively implementing the Safe Internet Campaign (KIS), targeting students at the primary, secondary and tertiary education levels. 'To date, the MCMC has carried out the programme in 53 schools, involving 11,389 participants comprising pupils, students, teachers and parents. 'Our target from May to August is to implement the KIS in 344 schools nationwide, including at least 20 schools in Johor,' she said. Teo said the campaign focused on educating students about cyberbullying, the importance of personal data security, and the dangers of interacting with strangers online. 'We encourage all interested schools to contact the MCMC office so that we can arrange training sessions and talks on digital safety,' she said. Teo also called on parents to play a role in educating their children on the safe and responsible use of the internet.
The Sun
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Obscene content: ‘Grup budak-budak sekolah rendah' FB page shut down
JOHOR BAHRU: A Facebook group dubbed 'Grup Budak-budak Sekolah Rendah', which allegedly circulated indecent images of teenage girls, has been shut down, said Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching. She said the Ministry of Communications, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), had contacted Meta to disable the Facebook account. 'I do not wish to comment further as the investigation is ongoing, but I would like to stress that MCMC will continue to work with the police to take follow-up action and carry out further investigations,' she said after attending a charity sale and cultural performance programme at a shopping mall here today. Social media influencer Mek Yun, 28, whose real name is Wee Yun Nee, had earlier exposed the existence of the group and urged the authorities to act swiftly to curb the spread of immoral content. According to Teo, the MCMC, in collaboration with the police, launched Op Pedo last year, resulting in the arrest of 13 individuals and the discovery of more than 40,000 child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and other pornographic content. Meanwhile, she said the government was actively implementing the Safe Internet Campaign (KIS), targeting students at the primary, secondary and tertiary education levels. 'To date, the MCMC has carried out the programme in 53 schools, involving 11,389 participants comprising pupils, students, teachers and parents. 'Our target from May to August is to implement the KIS in 344 schools nationwide, including at least 20 schools in Johor,' she said. Teo said the campaign focused on educating students about cyberbullying, the importance of personal data security, and the dangers of interacting with strangers online. 'We encourage all interested schools to contact the MCMC office so that we can arrange training sessions and talks on digital safety,' she said. Teo also called on parents to play a role in educating their children on the safe and responsible use of the internet.
