SHAH ALAM – Forget lemonade stands and mowing lawns—making money these days is easier than ever.
However, a disturbing trend has emerged, where adults and even teenagers are creating and sharing inappropriate images and videos online to make quick cash through platforms like X and Telegram.
On Dec 5, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil during the question and answer session in the Dewan Negara said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), in collaboration with platform providers such as Meta, Telegram and TikTok, has addressed 2,444 websites and content linked to prostitution since January 2022.
He said these efforts involved blocking 279 websites and removing 2,165 pieces of prostitution-related content across various social media platforms.
The highest content removal rate was recorded on Facebook at 46.84 per cent, followed by TikTok (30.44 per cent) and Telegram (21.20 per cent), he said.
Fahmi was responding to a question from Senator Datuk Bobbey Suan regarding the government’s efforts to curb the ‘dark side’ culture and steps to address account operators promoting prostitution on platforms such as X and Telegram.
There were, however, no data revealed about dark side content on the X platform.
Earlier this year, Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri highlighted that the National Social Council was closely monitoring the situation to prevent online communities from becoming hubs of exploitation.
"When it comes to monitoring these issues, we rely on the National Social Council and the MCMC, not only for this matter but for various other concerns as well.
"We are actively addressing the issue and are fully aware of the situation. Additionally, this matter has been discussed in the National Social Council," she said when met.
Nancy clarified that the MCMC, alongside the Communications Ministry and the police, were involved in tackling the problem, with MCMC focusing on social media platforms to address various social issues.
She also stressed the importance of fostering a values-based ecosystem, particularly through parental education, acknowledging that different parenting approaches exist.
Nancy also stressed the initiatives spearheaded by the Unity Ministry, such as parenting programmes organised by agencies like National Population and Family Development Board (LPPKN), which address issues like child and teenage pregnancies.
She praised the collaboration between government bodies and ministries in tackling these challenges, stressing the need for a comprehensive approach. Joint committees are working towards establishing an ecosystem that promotes the nation’s well-being.
Nancy stated that addressing issues like sexual abuse and teenage pregnancies required collective action and ongoing discussions and initiatives were aimed at tackling these pressing concerns.
"We engage with the Education Ministry to understand their efforts and seek their response. Similarly, we inquire about the Unity Ministry and Housing and Local Government Ministry’s initiatives in system creation.
"We also recognise the shared responsibility across agencies, as discussed in this meeting. We will involve the Health Ministry to address specific concerns such as mental health and youth suicide," she said.
Nancy also highlighted the importance of understanding the curriculum modules used in nursery schools to gauge how teachers are educating and addressing these issues with children.
She emphasised that this inquiry is crucial, as today’s children will eventually become adults shaping the nation’s future, stressing the importance of instilling the right values from an early age.