Crime prevention body alleges schoolgirls lured into vice online, want urgent action

MELAKA: A crime prevention body has expressed concern over an emerging trend where schoolgirls are being lured into vice activities through the Internet.

Melaka Indian Crime Prevention Society president Dr P. Gunalan said parents had shared with him social media messages where teenagers were being coached on how to use sex to earn a quick buck.

"This is tantamount to encouraging vice activities.

"This is a worrying trend and I hope lawmakers could advocate for legislation under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 to stop such undesirable online activities," he said Friday (April 2).

Gunalan said based on feedback provided by parents, groups are being created on social messaging apps by “seniors" who then add schoolgirls to the group.

"The seniors were either school dropouts or currently pursuing higher education," he said.

Gunalan said the seniors would allegedly coach the students on what to do and even went to the extent of introducing "clients".

He said the seniors were usually aged from 19 to 21 years old while the junior students were mostly in Forms Four and Five.

Gunalan said the existence of such online groups was only discovered by parents when they checked the mobile phones of their children.

"Most parents had bought smartphones for their children to attend online classes during the movement control order but unfortunately some misused it," he said.

Gunalan said one parent also told him that the seniors get the contact numbers of their juniors on the pretext of giving them past examination notes.

"However, after a few months, they start sharing lewd materials as well as 'tips' on how to make money through vice," he said.

Gunalan said some students were also making videos with scantily clad footage in various apps to increase their "marketability".

"There should be a mechanism outlined by the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to discourage such social media behaviour before it is too late," he said.