23/09/2025

TUESDAY | SEPT 23, 2025

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Digital safety for swipe-first generation L ET’S cut to the chase: babies today aren’t just born screaming for susu and attention; they come pre are real enough to vote or complain that you can’t, sign up for a telco plan, buy duty-free chocolates and occasionally be scolded at the bank counter. Malaysian child who hasn’t lied about their birth date online faster than you can say “Astro Go login”. giving toddlers tablets and using Doraemon as a babysitter while you binge K-drama. With digital ID, accountability cuts both ways.

The dodgy internet pasar malam Why the rush? Because the internet is a dodgy pasar malam on steroids. Sure, it has bargains, entertainment and the occasional gem but it is also crawling with scammy uncles, dodgy “crypto mentors” and predators lurking behind usernames like “HotBoy_2003”. And don’t get me started on the fake accounts. For every real Ah Chong or Siti Nur, there are 10 “PrincessLuv88” or “DatoRugiCepatKaya” types waiting to wreak havoc. Children, meanwhile, wander into this chaos like kampung children crossing a sungai penuh lintah barefoot. They are naturally curious, easily fooled and terrifyingly tech-savvy. Age limits? Nice try The “over 13 only” rule for social media? Cute. Show me one

impact one in three citizens at some point in their lives. If left untreated due to financial barriers, these conditions can diminish workforce participation, weaken academic performance and destabilise communities. Providing insurance coverage is a smart investment in national resilience, not a financial burden. Linking mental health coverage to insurance reform aligns with the government’s broader agenda. The Madani Medical Scheme is modernising clinics – electronic medical records are being implemented – and the Health White Paper sets the stage for long-term change. Making mental health coverage mandatory would ensure consistency, making sure that progress is not dependent on political cycles or annual budget changes. It would also show that Malaysia is committed to integrating equity and compassion into the 13th Malaysia Plan, where By age nine, many of them are already livestreaming while parents are still Googling how to reset their Facebook password. Here is where digital ID can play superhero. Tie every account to a verified identity and suddenly the internet stops being the Wild West. Before anyone yells “privacy invasion!”, let’s not be dramatic. Big brother already knows you forgot to pay your road tax, how many times you applied for BR1M and whether you secretly order McDelivery at midnight. Just to be clear, the system under digital ID does not need to tell Facebook or TikTok your full IC number, address or whether you secretly order nasi lemak at 2am. All it does is alert a platform whether you are underage or old enough to enter. Age check, nothing more. Sensitive info stays protected. Systemic protection, not slogans Let’s face it – telling children “don’t talk to strangers online” works about as well as telling Malaysians “don’t double park, nanti kena saman” . Lovely advice but mostly ignored. What they need is systemic protection. Imagine your anak tries to sign up for Instagram at age seven, the system politely says: “Sorry adik , you still makan Happy Meal, not Starbucks. Come back in six years.” Now, let’s think bigger. Schools can link digital ID to online learning platforms – no more pretending to be “John Cena” in Zoom class. Banks can block underage children from “accidentally” applying for loans or buying cryptocurrency. E-commerce sites can stop children from secretly ordering RM499 gaming chairs and hiding the delivery box in bilik stor . But let’s not sugar-coat this. A digital ID system will also expose parents. Yes, you – the ones happily

installed with an instinct for swiping iPads, unlocking phones and somehow finding YouTube videos that you definitely never clicked on. By the time your little angel can barely say “ nenek ”, they are already halfway to creating a TikTok dance reel. And you think a bit of parental nagging is enough to protect them online? Please. You might as well hand them a Milo packet and wish them luck in the digital jungle. Here’s the deal. Malaysians are obsessed with their MyKad. It is our ultimate badge of existence, the almighty plastic card that proves you M A R I N A T B Y A Z

mental well-being is essential for sustainable growth. As Malaysians observe World Mental Health Day, we should recognise that stigma has been challenged, institutions have been established and laws have changed. The next critical step is to ensure access through insurance. No family should face a choice between financial security and mental well-being. No patient should feel that their mental illness is less important than a physical illness. Making mental health coverage mandatory is not just a minor policy adjustment; it is also a statement that Malaysia cares about the well-being of its people and that we are ready to invest in resilience, that mental health is health, without question. DrAfriza Hani Mohd Sinon is a senior research fellow at the Structure over chaos Balanced view- lah . We don’t want to turn the internet into a police state. Nobody is asking for a ministry of TikTok affairs to monitor every emoji. What is needed is structure – guardrails that actually protect children. And yes, Malaysians will complain. We always do. “So maafkan-lah , need to log in with digital ID!” But the same Malaysians will also post on Facebook: “Why government not protecting our children from online predators?” You can’t have it both ways. So here’s the vision: MyKad for the physical world, digital MyKad for online. Automatic, seamless, no excuses. By the time they hit secondary school and attempt their first sneaky Instagram account, the system already knows: “Nice try, champ, but your UPSR results say you are still in Standard Six.” Malaysia wants to be a “digital nation”? Then stop treating digital safety like an optional afterthought. It has to be bold, systemic, and yes, a little bit sassy. Because if there is one thing Malaysians respect, it is a good lempang . In this case, the digital ID is the modern, non-physical version of that – a firm reminder to behave online, delivered with love and a dash of bureaucracy. Final word So, let’s do it. Digital ID from birth because honestly, if your baby can already unlock your iPhone at six months, don’t you think it is time they had their own ID? AzuraAbas is the associate editor of theSun. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

In this day and age, MyKad feels like that one uncle who still insists on using a Nokia 3310 – respectable, yes, but not exactly keeping up with the times. We need its glow-up sibling – the digital MyKad – a secure, compulsory cyber ID linked directly to your real self. And here’s the kicker: it should be automatic from birth. That’s right. Along with your baby’s birth certificate, you get a digital ID. Congratulations, makcik , your newborn is now ready to face the digital future – though maybe finish kindergarten first. M A K C I K A B A S

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What is needed is systemic protection - guardrails that actually protect children. – BERNAMAPIC

COMMENT by Dr Afriza Hani Mohd Sinon

Insuring the mind: Make mental health coverage mandatory THE upcoming World Mental Health Day on Oct 10 is more than just a date. It reminds us that mental well-being is a right that deserves equal protection and access.

Other countries have already shown that this can work. In Singapore, the national insurance scheme MediShield Life began offering mental health coverage in 2021, which includes psychiatric inpatient care as part of basic health protection. In Australia, the Medicare system allows patients to access up to 10 subsidised therapy sessions a year under a mental health treatment plan. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s National Health Service guarantees free access to mental health services, treating psychological illnesses on par with physical ones. These examples show that equal coverage is possible and beneficial, helping reduce stigma while increasing accessibility. The case for mandatory insurance is not just ethical; it is also an economic one. WHO estimates that depression and anxiety cost the global economy US$1 trillion (RM4.21 trillion) each year in lost productivity. In Malaysia, mental health issues

policies do not include full benefits such as counselling, outpatient therapy or wider mental health support. This outdated view overlooks what the World Health Organisation (WHO) has emphasised: there is no health without mental health. Families dealing with depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder frequently end up paying out-of-pocket for treatment, counselling and medication. For many, these costs are too high. And untreated conditions can worsen, leading to lost productivity, family breakdowns or, in tragic cases, preventable deaths. This World Mental Health Day should mark the moment Malaysia takes the important step of requiring all health insurance policies to cover mental health conditions equally with physical illnesses. Such a change would not just ease the financial burden on individuals and families. It would also send a clear message that mental health deserves equal dignity and attention.

For Malaysia, this day offers a chance to reflect on our progress and consider what comes next. In recent years, we have seen important changes such as the decriminalisation of suicide attempts, the establishment of a dedicated Mental Health Institution and nationwide campaigns to reduce stigma. However, one critical issue remains: insurance coverage. While Malaysians are well covered for chronic physical illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and cancer, mental health conditions are often excluded or only minimally included in health insurance policies. Only a few insurers provide protection for specific conditions like depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and they often have low annual caps. Most standard health insurance

National Institute of Public Administration. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com