06/06/2025

FRIDAY | JUNE 6, 2025

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Push for digital safety lauded

o Educating parents key to protecting children online, but rollout must be inclusive and community-based: Group

single-session schooling by 2030. “The ministry also aims to provide more modern and comfortable facilities, enhancing the learning and teaching environment for students, teachers and school staff.” The 127 contractors were selected through an open tender process held from April 24 to May 16. Fourteen district engineers from the Public Works Department have been appointed to monitor the construction works under this initiative. – Bernama Council denies appointing agents to collect beach fees IPOH: The Manjung Municipal Council (MMC) has denied appointing any individual or association to collect fees from visitors at Pantai Teluk Senangin. In a statement, the council said such actions were in direct contradiction to policies governing public beach management. “Pantai Teluk Senangin is a public beach open to all members of society for recreation, relaxation and picnicking. MMC does not charge visitors for leisure activities, such as setting out mats, gathering with family or relaxing on the beach. “MMC has not appointed, authorised or issued permits to any individuals, associations or organisations to collect fees from beachgoers. Anyone claiming otherwise is acting illegally,” it added. The council noted that a notice had already been posted on its official Facebook page on Aug 15 last year, clearly stating that no charges were imposed for picnicking at the beach. In response to the issue, MMC has collaborated with the Manjung district police headquarters to carry out an enforcement operation targeting unauthorised rental activities, including ring floats. – Bernama Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said the two ministries will work together to explore practical enforcement mechanisms, leveraging MCMC’s regulatory experience in managing online and social media platforms. technological knowledge with child psychology, helping parents understand how screen time impacts brain development and how to recognise signs of online stress, manipulation or grooming. She also cautioned against punitive enforcement. “Penalties will only create more stress and anxiety among parents. A better approach would be positive reinforcement such as incentives or subsidies for attending digital training programmes,” she added. Last week, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said announced that the government is reviewing existing legal provisions to establish clearer responsibilities for parents and guardians in preventing child abuse and neglect, including in the digital sphere. As part of the effort, the proposal includes making digital safety education mandatory for parents. On Monday, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) confirmed it will collaborate with Azalina to advance the initiative, which would require parents to actively monitor their children’s online activities.

burden parents must carry alone. Government, educators, tech companies and communities must work together to raise a digitally resilient generation.” Adding a clinical perspective, CPC International managing director and child clinical psychologist Dr Noor Aishah Rosli underlined the importance of parental engagement in children’s online lives. “When parents coview content, set boundaries and discuss online activities, they can reduce the risk of exposure to harmful content, cyberbullying and grooming,” she said. Still, she warned that many parents remain unaware of the psychological toll that digital overexposure can take on children, contributing to attention issues, disrupted sleep, emotional instability, anxiety and depression. “Excessive digital use disrupts natural development.” While she supports the move to make digital safety education mandatory, Noor Aishah stressed that successful implementation depends on access to proper support systems. “Without proper resources and guidance, behaviour change is difficult,” she noted, highlighting wide disparities in digital literacy across income and geographic lines. “Some parents may struggle with the technical aspects, while others may not even see the urgency. Rural and low-income households may require a different approach than urban, middle-class families.” She advocated for workshops that combine

underserved areas. She also called for simple, multilingual educational materials to be distributed through print and broadcast media to ensure no one is left behind. However, she acknowledged there are significant challenges. “The digital divide is real. Not all families have equal access to technology, and cultural or language barriers may hinder participation, especially among indigenous or migrant communities.” To ensure the initiative reaches all corners of society, Azimah proposed a localised, community-driven rollout. She suggested integrating digital safety modules into school enrolment processes or linking them with social welfare programmes to encourage participation, focusing more on education than enforcement. “Any consequences for non-compliance should be proportionate and sensitive to socio economic conditions,” she added, while emphasising the need for strong data privacy safeguards and transparency. Highlighting global examples, she pointed to Germany, South Korea, the US and the UK as models Malaysia could adapt. “We can design a hybrid model. Legal obligations supported by educational outreach that suits our multicultural and multilingual society. The goal should be to support and empower, not just regulate. “Digital safety starts at home, but it’s not a

Ű BY KIRTINEE RAMESH newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: The government’s proposal to mandate digital safety education for parents and guardians has drawn praise from education advocates and child psychologists, who view it as a crucial step to safeguard children in an increasingly connected world. Parent Action Group for Education president Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim welcomed the initiative, calling it a clear sign that society is beginning to recognise the wider responsibilities of digital literacy. “By making digital safety education mandatory, the government is recognising that digital literacy is not just a personal skill, it’s a societal responsibility,” she said. Azimah stressed that for the initiative to succeed, it must be inclusive, accessible and tailored to the needs of all communities. She proposed leveraging local institutions such as schools, mosques and NGO to host in-person workshops, particularly in rural and Maintenance works underway on Besraya until November KUALA LUMPUR: Besraya (M) Sdn Bhd is currently carrying out scheduled road maintenance works along the Sungai Besi Expressway (Besraya), which began on June 3 and will continue until Nov 30. In a statement, the highway concessionaire announced that lane closures will be carried out in stages in both directions, covering the stretches between Km0.1 to Km21.9, KmB0.0 to KmB0.8, KmS0.0 to KmS2.2 and KmP0.0 to KmP3.3. The maintenance work, which includes road resurfacing and line marking, is being conducted nightly from 10pm to 6am throughout the maintenance period. “We will also ensure that traffic updates and lane closure information at affected locations are continuously communicated to the public through electronic signboards along the highway. “Highway users are advised to comply with all instructions displayed on the signs,” the company said. The maintenance work is being carried out with the support of the Malaysian Highway Authority as part of ongoing efforts to improve user comfort and safety. – Bernama

MODERN AESTHETICS ... An exhibitor conducting a demonstration on a visitor at the International Beauty Expo 2025 held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre yesterday. – ADAM AMIR HAMZAH/THESUN

Works Ministry allocates RM88 million for overcrowded schools SHAH ALAM: The Works Ministry will upgrade 121 overcrowded schools, involving 127 classrooms across six states, under a project aimed at addressing the issue of overcrowding. The initiative involves an allocation of RM88 million. and Penang. “Selangor has the highest number of projects, with 111, followed by seven in Perak, four in Pahang, three in Negeri Sembilan, and one each in Terengganu and Penang. Ahmad explained that the system helps speed up construction while ensuring better and more sustainable quality. All works are scheduled for completion by October this year.

He added that the project is part of the Madani government’s effort to prioritise the people, aiming to improve the quality of learning and provide a more conducive education ecosystem. “These projects are a proactive step by the Education Ministry towards achieving the goal of

“The scope of the project covers 117 new premier classrooms and 10 classrooms under the integrated special education programme, using the industrialised building system concept,” he said at the Selangor Public Works Department headquarters yesterday.

Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said a total of 127 letters of acceptance were handed over to the successful contractors yesterday for works in Selangor, Langkawi, Perak, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Terengganu