Parents need help protecting children from online dangers

They say work commitments make it hard to fully monitor or control their children’s internet usage.

Between January and September 2025, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission took down over 1,400 posts involving child sexual abuse material. (Envato Elements pic)

PETALING JAYA:

 Parents are struggling to fully monitor their children’s digital activity, with many telling FMT that they need a lot more help to ensure their children are using the internet safely.

Many are forced to leave their children alone at home while they are at work, yet remain concerned about the children’s exposure to dangerous or inappropriate content online or online scams.

Siti Noormaliana Rashid.

Siti Noormaliana Rashid, 39, said she worked long hours as a nurse and this made it difficult to control her children’s online activity.

“I am very worried. We cannot fully control their phone usage. We don’t know what they are watching,” she said.

Financial officer Siti Salwa Zakaria, 39, said the internet had become an important tool, especially for educational purposes.

Siti Salwa Zakaria.

“Our children are using the internet to do their homework. Even classrooms have their own WhatsApp groups, so if we cut off the internet, they won’t be able to access the information they need.

“We have to move with the times. Like it or not, we must accept the internet has both its pros and cons,” said the mother of four children under 16 years old.

Ramesh Rajan, 41, said his children, aged six to 14, shared one mobile phone without internet access. “If they need the internet, they will use my wife’s phone under supervision.”

Ramesh Rajan.

“I worry that they may accidentally access inappropriate content, or be taken in by scams,” said the civil servant, who believed that his children were still exposed to such content despite the controls imposed by him and his wife.

Between January and September 2025, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission took down over 1,400 posts involving child sexual abuse material.

Studies by Unicef and Interpol have also found that 91% of Malaysian children aged 13 to 17 use the internet daily, and that 70% of them are exposed to dangerous content online.

Adam Haris Rahman.

Adam Haris Rahman, 20, a Form 6 student at a school in Setapak, said government intervention remained necessary to protect children online.

“In countries such as China, the government restricts use of social media platforms such as TikTok, keeping users from accessing inappropriate content. Why can’t our government do the same?” he asked. - FMT