The government is conducting an in-depth study on safety issues related to children's exposure to online games and will hold engagement sessions with relevant parties to obtain comprehensive feedback and suggestions.
Deputy Minister of Communications, Teo Nie Ching, pointed out that this move aims to ensure the government fully understands timely and effective regulatory methods to address children’s safety risks in the online gaming ecosystem.
"Although online gaming platform content currently does not fall under licensed service categories, if the content violates the law, such as Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, or if there are any complaints by individuals or authorities, enforcement action can still be taken."
She said during the question-and-answer session in the Senate today (9th), in response to Senator Nor Hashimah’s query, that such actions will all be carried out in accordance with prevailing laws, including requiring content removal, launching further investigations, or applying to block the relevant websites.
"Nevertheless, parents still need to supervise their children's Internet usage to avoid exposure to violence, crime, gambling content, and virtual rewards that encourage aggressive behavior. It must be emphasized that electronic devices are not nannies and cannot replace parents."
Additionally, Teo Nie Ching noted that combating paedophilia behavior, whether online or offline, falls under the authority of the Royal Malaysia Police, who take action based on the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 and the Penal Code.
She stated that the Ministry of Communications, through the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), monitors harmful online content, including child sexual exploitation.
"If content violates Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, such as involving pornographic or indecent material concerning children, the authorities will take action."
She said the Commission also maintains ongoing communication with platform providers to ensure their services and algorithms are more transparent and comply with local regulations.
She highlighted that cooperation with the police has also been strengthened to combat harmful content and paedophilia through actions such as "Ops Pedo 1.0" conducted last year and this year’s "Ops Pedo 2.0".
Teo Nie Ching mentioned that the government has also formulated the Online Safety Act 2025, mandating that licensed application service providers, application content providers, and networks regulate harmful content.
"The Commission is finalizing subsidiary regulations and codes under this Act, focusing on online child protection and setting age-appropriate content."
She added that the Commission is also studying age and identity verification methods for Malaysian social media users, focusing on evaluating the regulatory framework, national infrastructure preparedness, and international best practices to ensure that the solutions developed are comprehensive and in line with current needs.