PETALING JAYA: The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has called for tighter safeguards on e-wallets to prevent misuse and untraceable online transactions involving children.
It urged stronger age verification for users under 18, alerts to parents about suspicious transfers, and mandatory cooperation between e-wallet providers, Bank Negara Malaysia and the police to flag accounts linked to child exploitation.
“Today, many children receive payments through e-wallets like Touch ‘n Go or GrabPay. These accounts are tied to a parent’s ID or bank account, making parents directly responsible,” Suhakam said in a statement.
Parents, it stressed, remain the first line of defence.
At the same time, Suhakam cautioned against punishing minors, noting that children are often immature, copy adult behaviours and may share explicit images for quick money.
“When such behaviour happens, the best approach is guidance, therapy and education, rather than punishment. Under Malaysian law, children are always treated as victims, never offenders,” it said.
Suhakam pointed out that the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 makes it a serious crime for adults to exploit, groom or pay minors for sexual activity, and responsibility lies squarely with the perpetrators.
The commission also urged stronger action to create safe online spaces, including the swift removal of harmful groups by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
“Technology companies must do more by introducing stronger age filters, providing red alert safety features and implementing mandatory child-protection standards on their platforms.
“Support services, counselling and clear information must also be available to children and parents so that children are guided away from harmful behaviour rather than blamed,” it said.
Suhakam added that enforcement should not focus on children but on those who exploit them.
It said studies by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Ecpat and Unicef show that predators are usually adult men.
