PUTRAJAYA, Oct 17 (Bernama) — The government plans to raise the minimum age for social media usage to 16, in an effort to address social issues among school students, said MADANI Government spokesperson Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
Speaking after today’s Cabinet meeting, the Communications Minister said the government is also exploring the necessity and mechanisms for requiring social media accounts to be registered using official government documents, such as MyKad, MyDigitalID, and passports.
Fahmi added that to carefully assess the feasibility and technical aspects of this mechanism, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), together with relevant agencies, will send a delegation to meet social media platform operators in Singapore next week.
“The proposed registration mechanism, which would use official documents, may be similar to the e-KYC process currently implemented in banking apps and e-wallets,” he told a press conference following the Cabinet meeting here today.
Additionally, Fahmi indicated that discussions will also be held with Bank Negara Malaysia and other parties, leveraging their experience with the e-KYC system used in e-wallets like Touch n Go eWallet and Grab, which also require government-issued documents.
“I want to emphasise that we will be having discussions with social media platforms. What has been decided today is at the policy level. We will provide further updates once I receive the report from the discussions in Singapore,” Fahmi said.
Meanwhile, Fahmi said MCMC has been tasked with reviewing actions that can be taken against any e-commerce platforms found to be selling prohibited items, such as narcotics or dangerous weapons.
He added that the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) periodically issue instructions to remove advertisements for prohibited products that are detected.
“I am urging MCMC to explore what actions can be taken if e-commerce companies fail to cooperate effectively, ensuring that they comply with government directives and the country’s laws,” Fahmi said.
He made these comments after being asked about efforts to stop online weapon purchases, following confirmation from the police that weapons seized from the suspect in the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old girl at a school in Petaling Jaya were bought online.
— BERNAMA