KUALA LUMPUR: The government is conducting a comprehensive review of child safety risks in online gaming and will consult stakeholders to obtain their views and input.
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said the review aims to provide a holistic overview of practical regulatory approaches to address child safety risks in the online gaming ecosystem.
"While online gaming content is not a licensed service category, enforcement can still be initiated if it breaches laws like Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, or following a report by an individual or authority.
"Actions may include requests for content removal, further investigation, or applications to block related websites, subject to applicable laws.
"Nevertheless, parents must monitor their children to prevent exposure to violence, crime, gambling and virtual rewards that encourage aggressive behaviour. It must be emphasised that a device is not a babysitter, and it is certainly not a substitute for a parent," she said during the oral question-and-answer session in Dewan Negara on Tuesday (Dec 9).
She was responding to a question from Senator Norhasmimi Abdul Ghani regarding measures taken to monitor paedophilic activities in digital spaces, including social media and online gaming platforms, often used by offenders to approach minors.
Teo said that enforcement against paedophilia, whether online or offline, falls under the jurisdiction of the Royal Malaysia Police under laws such as the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 [Act 792] and Penal Code [Act 574].
She said the Communications Ministry, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), monitors harmful online content, including the sexual exploitation of children.
"Action will be taken if the content violates Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 [Act 588], such as the publication of obscene or indecent material involving children.
"MCMC also conducts ongoing engagement with platform providers to ensure their services and algorithms are more transparent and comply with local regulations," she added.
She added that cooperation with the police has been strengthened through operations such as Ops Pedo 1.0 last year and Ops Pedo 2.0 this year, aimed at combating harmful and paedophilic content.
Teo said the government had also enacted the Online Safety Act 2025 [Act 866], which obligates licensed providers of application services, content applications and networks to regulate harmful content.
"MCMC is currently finalising the regulations and subsidiary codes under this Act, with a specific focus on online child protection and the classification of content by age suitability," she said.
She said MCMC was also studying methods for age and identity verification for social media users in Malaysia.
The study would assess the regulatory framework, the country's infrastructure readiness, and international implementation practices to ensure the approach is comprehensive and meets current needs. – Bernama
