SAFE INTERNET CAMPAIGN 2.0 TO BE INTENSIFIED NEXT YEAR - FAHMI

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 16 (Bernama) -- The Communications Ministry will intensify the implementation of the Safe Internet Campaign 2.0 next year to strengthen the level of online security, especially involving children and families, said its Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

He said the Safe Internet Campaign 1.0, which was implemented throughout this year, involved nearly 8,500 schools - exceeding the preliminary target of 8,000 - and over 400,000 participants through various Internet safety awareness programmes.

Fahmi said this effort must be multiplied next year, with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) asked to forge collaborations with various parties, including the MADANI Community that serves as an agent of communication at the grassroots level.

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"We want to involve all in the MADANI Community to become agents of communication delivering the same message, which is ensuring the Internet is safe.

"Parents also have a duty and responsibility to ensure their children are always safe (when surfing the Internet),” he said at the Communications Ministry's Monthly assembly for November and December here today.

Also present were Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah, Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) chief executive officer Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin and Bernama editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj.

As such, Fahmi said the Communications Ministry will also launch an Internet safety mega roadshow nationwide in conjunction with the World Safer Internet Day next February to ensure the message on internet safety is understood and implemented right up to the grassroots level.

According to him, criminals, especially those involved in child sexual crimes, scams and online gambling, have migrated en masse to social media platforms.

To address this matter, Fahmi said the government has taken steps to strengthen the legal framework by defining certain acts as criminal offences, including fraud, scams, cyberbullying and doxing (the act of disseminating someone's personal information).

"Cyberbullying has been amended in the Penal Code, which now defines physical bullying or cyberbullying as an offence. Doxxing - the dissemination of someone's personal information with the intention of causing fear or intimidation - is now an offence.

"Previously, (the relevant legislation) didn't exist. Now, we have more aspects to safeguard the people,” he said.

He added that this effort is also in line with the enforcement of several acts involving communications, such as the Online Safety Act (OnSA), the Anti-Bullying Bill 2025 and the implementation of the Deeming Provision under Section 46A of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

Under the Deeming Provision, all Internet messaging and social media service providers with eight million or more users in Malaysia will automatically be registered as Application Service Provider Class Licence [ASP(C)] holders from Jan 1, 2026.

"This means, if we cooperate with other ministries, departments and enforcement agencies, our Internet, insya-Allah, will be safer by next year.

"So, with the existence of OnSA and with these platforms being deemed licensed, we believe that several things can be worked on together to ensure the Internet in Malaysia is safer, especially for children and families,” he said. 

-- BERNAMA