MELAKA: The government is committed to continuing the Safe Internet Campaign (KIS) 2.0 next year, focusing on digital safety literacy education for parents to strengthen community knowledge and protect them from cyber threats.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the KIS, launched in January this year, must be expanded to raise awareness not only among schoolchildren, but also among parents, educators, and platform providers about the importance of adopting ethical and safe practices online.
“The role of parents is extremely important.
“Close monitoring, constant guidance, and open communication between parents and children help shape responsible attitudes and awareness of cyberspace risks from a young age,” he said in his speech at the launch of the Safe Internet Campaign Carnival for the Southern Region at Multimedia University here today.
The text of his speech was read out by Communications Ministry secretary-general (Infrastructure and Communications) Mano Verabathran, who also launched the event on Fahmi‘s behalf.
Also present were Melaka Science, Technology, Innovation and Digital Communication Committee chairman Datuk Fairul Nizam Roslan and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chief officer of state affairs Bukhari Yahya.
Fahmi said that so far, the KIS has empowered students in 1,478 educational institutions across the southern region — covering Johor, Melaka, and Negri Sembilan — as of November, involving about 26,617 students.
“Although we have achieved the stipulated target, we must not be satisfied because our goal is more than just counting the total number of implemented programmes. It is about preventing Internet users from continuing to become victims of online crimes,” he said.
He added that although the Internet provides access to unlimited information and strengthens the digital economy and communication networks, it also brings challenges such as cyberbullying, scams, false information, digital gambling, and child sexual exploitation — all of which are very concerning.
Fahmi noted that the close cooperation between the police and the MCMC shows that the data collected is not just statistics, but a warning that digital space is being misused for harmful purposes.
According to police records, over 47,000 online scam cases had been reported as of September, with an estimated total loss of RM1.9 billion.
“This is an increase of more than 12,000 cases compared to the 35,368 cases recorded in 2024, involving losses estimated at RM1.5 billion.
“In addition, over 880,000 digital files of sexual crimes were found, including child sexual abuse materials and adult pornography, leading to the arrest of 31 individuals under Ops Pedo 2.0 in October,” he added. — BERNAMA
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