Wanita MCA: Act sternly against child pornography
WANITA MCA is alarmed with the figure revealed by Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rina Harun that 106,764 Malaysian-registered Internet protocol (IP) addresses were identified from 2017 until August this year as suspected to be sharing child pornography.
All authorities need to cooperate and clamp down hard on paedophiles and their networks be they active participants or on the subterfuge in the dark web.
Therefore, we urge the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to immediately shut down such IPs or sites known to display and share child pornography and even adult pornography.
All information gathered should be handed to the police to conduct investigations so that the paedophiles will be apprehended for misuse of telecommunication devices and processing pornographic materials.
If the culprits are non-Malaysians, the police should hand such information to their overseas counterparts or Interpol. Transnational cooperation is needed to quell paedophilia.
We don't want Malaysian Richard Huckles in our midst
Malaysians were aghast when serial paedophile Richard Huckle was exposed to be the monster that he was – penning manuals on child grooming and sharing his sexual exploits and violating minors in the dark web. Simultaneously, he immersed himself among destitute communities, earning their trust by depicting himself as an altruistic Western charity-volunteer missionary. We cannot allow a Malaysian version of Richard Huckle to emerge and breed in our society.
In fact, lock up such paedophiles for life and throw the key away.
Safeguarding from home
Meanwhile, parents are urged to monitor the content which their underage children browse on cyberspace and social media. Installing safeguards on the computer or device which blocks access pornographic sites will help.
Parents, guardians and guardians of children's homes are also encouraged to have heart-to-heart talks with their offspring and wards. Be open to any complaints or issues children raise – particularly, uncomfortable or "not-ok" bodily touches or commands by adults.
Likewise, we should teach our kids to report to their parents or authorities if any stranger on social media or relative requests them to perform undersirable acts like sexual gyrations, removing their attire or revealing their private parts – more so, if the perpetrators offer a gift in exchange.
Parents are advised not to scold minors if they complaint to them regarding any relative or figure in authority who commits or cajoles for incestuous acts or sexual abuse.
Rina also cited police statistics of sexual offences involving children. There were: 641 cases of rape, 47 cases of gang rape, 127 cases of incest, 95 cases of unnatural sex, and 438 cases involving obscenity.
Despite these figures coupled with the staggering 106,764 figure of IP sharers of child pornography, Wanita MCA believes that the actual number of people indulging in viewing and sharing child pornography is higher as they have yet to be located.
Similarly, the numbers of minors who are victims of sexual offenders would be higher as not all victims have the courage nor awareness of the need to lodge a police report, or in cases of incest, their own parents may discourage them from reporting.
Victims of child sex abuse or their neighbours could contact Talian Kasih hotline 15999 for help or rescue, if needed.
Datuk Heng Seai Kie
Wanita MCA National Chairperson
