Activist praises govt for dedicated unit against child porn, urges broader efforts

 

A children's rights activist has praised the government for forming a specialised unit to combat child pornography but also urged for expanded efforts to deal with the increase of such online content.

The unit was formed under the Criminal Investigation Department's Sexual, Women and Child Investigations Division (D11), which was announced during the re-tabling of Budget 2023 yesterday.

Childline Foundation executive director Wong Poai Hong highlighted that while this was a step forward, the government should also focus on the whole spectrum of child pornography, or more accurately Online Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM), which she said has increased substantially in the last three years.

“Our Childline Internet Watch Foundation Malaysian portal has been reporting an average of 1,000 cases per month since December 2022.

“In 2021, the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported close to 200,000 suspected online CSAM,” she told Malaysiakini.

To effectively combat this issue, Wong urged for interagency collaboration, particularly with the Communications and Multimedia Commission and the Social Welfare Department.

She also suggested the government integrate data management systems with international agencies including the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), Interpol, Inhope, and local child helplines.

Child Development Dept

Wong noted that the Child Development Department, also announced during the budget re-tabling, was a much-awaited “game-changer” to transform the well-being and protection of children offline and online.

One of the key challenges facing the department will be securing sufficient funding to create national policies and strategic plans for children, she said.

Wong stressed that the department should recruit qualified staff well-versed in early childhood, child rights, and child protection.

It should also map existing child-related services and facilities to ensure quality care and education for all children under 18, she added.

Childline Foundation executive director Wong Poai Hong

However, the activist expressed puzzlement surrounding the department's exact name and focus.

“I am totally confused with the term Child Development Department. It was also earlier reported that a Child Protection Department would be created.

“Even earlier, it was announced that a children's department would be formed which we assume would cover the whole spectrum of the four categories of child rights under the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Child 1989 - child survival, protection, development and participation.

“I ask for clarity on the correct name of this new department and for consultations to be held with NGOs and children,” Wong added.

‘RM8m good start but not enough’

Sisters in Islam (SIS) also weighed in on Budget 2023’s coverage for women and children, specifically on the allocation of RM8 million towards strengthening One Stop Social Support Centres (OSSSC) against mental health and domestic violence.

SIS stated that the amount was not enough as these support centres require trained staff for operation.

“RM8 million is a good start but we need to have more allocated for women because these support centres require people who are well-trained to operate them.

“Early intervention against mental health and domestic violence issues is also positive but accessibility is still an issue.

“Aside from strengthening, what is needed is more OSSSC to be built so that such services are accessible to more women, especially at the district levels,” said SIS communications officer Aleza Nadia Othman in a statement yesterday.

Although the grant for women who return to work is a positive step, SIS believes it only solved a temporary issue, and called for structural and cultural barriers to be addressed in the long term with better policy solutions. - Mkini