KUALA LUMPUR: The government aims to have Malaysians below 16 years old barred from signing up for social media accounts next year as part of efforts to better protect children online, says Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
He said the government expects all platform providers to implement electronic know-your-customer identity verification by next year.
The new system will require users to verify their age using official documents such as MyKad, passports or MyDigital ID.
In October, the Cabinet discussed a proposal to raise the minimum age for social media use to 16.
Fahmi said the move aligns with the Online Safety Act, which comes into force on Jan 1.
He cited Australia which will introduce an age limit on social media next month.
He said Malaysia will study international practices to find the best approach.
“Other countries may have their own ways, and we will look closely to find the best way to ensure that children below 16 are prohibited from using social media,” he told reporters after closing an awareness seminar on online scams organised by the Institut Penyiaran dan Penerangan Tun Abdul Razak yesterday.
Staying vigilant: Fahmi (centre) with participants of an awareness seminar on online scams held yesterday. The seminar was attended by 100 Indian youths from several public housing areas in Lembah Pantai. — FAIHAN GHANI/The Star
In the meantime, he urged parents to encourage outdoor activities for children and supervise their use of gadgets.
On issues with the new emergency contact, Fahmi announced that the joint special committee will meet today to review technical, operational, and inter-agency coordination issues in the Next Generation Malaysian Emergency Response Services 999 (NG MERS 999) system.
The meeting will examine integration with private ambulance services not registered with the Health Ministry and assess the user-friendliness of the new SaveME999 app, which consolidates three previous apps, SaveMEBlind, SaveMEDeaf and SaveMEPolice, to provide digital location and emergency information.
Fahmi clarified that the app was not developed at a cost of RM1.25bil.
“It costs about RM880,000 a year to manage the system, most of which goes towards data management, not develop ment,” he said, noting that some private ambulance operators, such as those under activist Chee Heng Kuan, popularly known as Uncle Kentang, are still not registered.
The NG MERS 999 system, which replaced the older MERS999 on Nov 16, is an integrated strategic digital platform that enhances resource and data sharing between emergency call centres and related central agencies, improving emergency service efficiency.
It now covers over 800 locations nationwide, double the number previously under MERS999.
