Zahid warns Asean still underestimates online dangers kids face

Deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi warned that gaps in awareness of cyber threats to children remain ‘worrying’.

KUALA LUMPUR: Parents, educators, policymakers and technology companies lack a full understanding of the dangers children face online, deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi warned today.

Speaking at the Asean ICT Forum on Child Online Protection, Zahid said children are increasingly being exposed to harm that adults struggle to recognise, including AI-driven grooming, deepfakes and identity manipulation.

He said Malaysia’s own data underscores the scale of the problem, with 33% of youths reporting they have been bullied online and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission receiving 9,000 cyberbullying complaints in 2024.

Zahid added that awareness gaps across the region remain worrying, citing surveys showing that nearly 70% of Asean parents are still unaware of the full range of online risks their children face.

“The digital world offers opportunities, but it also presents risks that are growing faster than our ability to respond,” he said.

To address this, he announced the launch of the National Child Policy and National Child Action Plan (2026–2030), aimed at strengthening safeguards against grooming, cyberbullying, exploitation and emotional harm.

The policy also focuses on digital literacy and equipping children with the skills to safely navigate online spaces.

Zahid said Malaysia holds to a clear principle in formulating these policies. “We must protect children without limiting their potential.”

At the regional level, Malaysia proposed three priorities: an Asean Child-Protection Information Exchange Network for faster cross-border alerts, a Shared Digital Forensics Protocol to support investigations across jurisdictions, and an Asean Digital Guardianship Curriculum to build digital resilience among students.

Zahid said these measures would help Asean respond more quickly as online threats continue to evolve.

“We are answering a regional call to conscience because protecting children in the digital age is a responsibility that no generation before us has ever faced,” he added.