29/12/2025

MONDAY | DEC 29, 2025

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New digital laws could cause ‘more harm than good’ o Without careful consideration, policies disrupting access to online tools might lead to child safety risks: NGO

Man held over alleged attack on e-hailing driver

and their owners were being monitored and reminded to renew their road tax promptly to avoid legal action. In another development, Muhammad Kifli said the RTD 50% summons discount was still in effect until Dec 30, adding that 702,606 summonses have been settled, generating total collections of RM93.51 million. However, he said 4.76 million outstanding summonses, involving more than RM1 billion, have yet to be paid, and the public are urged to take the opportunity to settle them before the discount period ends. – Bernama JOHOR BAHRU: An e-hailing driver sustained facial injuries after being attacked with a steering wheel lock in Jalan Lingkaran Dalam on Saturday. South Johor Bahru district police chief ACP Raub Selamat said the incident occurred at about 2.30pm. Preliminary investigations revealed that the incident took place as the 38-year-old victim allegedly exited a petrol station recklessly, forcing the suspect travelling along the same stretch to brake abruptly. “The male suspect, unhappy with the situation, got out of his car and struck the victim in the face with a steering wheel lock,” he said in a statement yesterday. He added that the victim sustained injuries to the left side of his face, requiring him to seek medical treatment. Raub said the victim filed a police report following the incident, adding that police has arrested the 35-year-old suspect to assist in the investigation. The steering wheel lock believed to have been used in the incident was also seized. “The suspect tested negative for drugs and has no criminal record,” he said, adding that the case was being investigated under Section 324 of the Penal Code. Earlier, a seven-second video was widely shared on social media, showing an individual taking a steering wheel lock from a car boot and striking a car believed to belong to the victim. – Bernama Telecommunications tower catches fire IPOH: A telecommunications tower caught fire in an incident at the Maxis Sungai Perak substation area in Kampung Kelebor, Kuala Kangsar on Saturday. Perak Fire and Rescue Department acting assistant director of operations Shazlean Mohd Hanafiah said after being notified of the incident at 6.36pm, a team from the Kuala Kangsar Fire and Rescue station was despatched to the scene. “The blaze was visible from the North South Expressway. However, responding personnel found that the address provided was inaccurate, causing them to be caught in highway congestion. “The team took about an hour to reach the location as the site was situated within a forested area and an oil palm plantation, requiring the use of a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Upon arrival, the fire had already been completely extinguished,” he said in a statement. He added that the fire was put out with the assistance of the landowner, who used fire extinguishers and stored water to douse the flames. “Part of the tower was damaged in the fire, affecting several communication panels and causing service disruptions. Further investigations on the tower are continuing,” he said yesterday. – Bernama

should not normalise surveillance or create new vulnerabilities in the process.” More fundamentally, she questioned what happens once a child turns 16 if platforms remain unsafe by design. “If the environment doesn’t change, we’re not solving the problem – we’re just postponing it,” she said, adding that safety must be embedded into systems through enforceable duties on platforms. She called for safer default settings for minors, limits on unsolicited contact, clear reporting channels, fast response timelines, transparency reporting, independent audits and meaningful penalties for non-compliance. Sha added that online safety education must be continuous and practical, involving children, parents, caregivers and educators, rather than treated as a one-off or symbolic exercise. Srividhya also emphasised that children must have a real voice in shaping digital policy. “Participation cannot mean children listening while adults speak. “It must shape outcomes, not merely legitimise decisions already made.” As Malaysia moves towards implementing new digital regulations in 2026, she urged policymakers to prioritise solutions that measurably reduce harm over symbolic controls. “Protection is not about control. Children’s rights do not disappear online,” she said.

Ű BY KIRTINEE RAMESH newsdesk@thesundaily.com

Parents and teachers rely on it for school announcements, students use it for group work, and families depend on it because it remains accessible as long as there is data or WiFi. “Any policy that disrupts access to tools like this without careful design and exemptions will have real consequences, especially for families with few alternatives,” she said. On age thresholds, Srividhya said she supports an under-13 limit rather than under 16, but only if it is paired with strong platform obligations, privacy-respecting enforcement and genuine child participation. “Under 13 is already the baseline most platforms claim to operate on,” she said. “A blanket restriction up to 16 risks being disproportionate and may simply delay exposure rather than reduce harm.” She stressed that age limits alone do not make online spaces safer. “They change who is allowed in, not how those spaces behave,” she said. Srividhya also raised concerns about the possible use of eKYC and official identification for age verification, adding that such measures could introduce new risks related to privacy, data retention and misuse. “A policy aimed at protecting children

PETALING JAYA: As Malaysia prepares to tighten control over major digital platforms — raising age limits and introducing new licensing requirements — child rights advocates are warning that headline-driven solutions risk overlooking how children actually live, learn and communicate in a digital-first world. CRIB Foundation co-chairperson Srividhya Ganapathy said the debate on “online child protection” must move beyond symbolic restrictions and confront the realities of children’s everyday lives. “With 2026 now in sight and major changes to how children access the internet on the table, it’s worth pausing to ask what ‘protecting children online’ should actually mean,” she said. She was responding to an announcement by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission that major messaging and social media platforms meeting the user threshold – including WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube – will be deemed registered as Applications Service Provider (Class C) licensees from Jan 1. Separately, the Cabinet has approved raising the minimum age for social media accounts to 16, with implementation expected next year. Authorities have also indicated that platforms may be required to adopt electronic know-your-customer (eKYC) mechanisms, potentially involving official identification documents, to verify the age of users. For many Malaysian families, online spaces are no longer optional. Messaging apps, online classrooms and digital group chats have become essential infrastructure – connecting parents, teachers and students, enabling learning, coordination and social support. “Children learn, collaborate, seek help and build friendships online,” Srividhya said, adding that policies which fail to reflect this reality risk doing “more harm than good”. While acknowledging that online harms are real and escalating, she cautioned against responses driven by urgency rather than careful design. “There are real dangers – sextortion, grooming and bullying are not abstract risks,” she said. “But pretending children can simply stay offline is no longer realistic.” She pointed to WhatsApp in particular as a form of basic communication infrastructure for many households.

Srividhya said online safety education must be continuous and practical, involving children, parents, caregivers and educators, rather than treated as a one-off or symbolic exercise. – AI GENERATED IMAGE BY SYED AZAHAR SYED OSMAN/THESUN

Extensively modified motorcycle among 65 impounded KUALA LUMPUR: A Yamaha Y15 motorcycle, extensively modified at a cost of RM18,000, was among 65 vehicles impounded during three separate operations by the Road Transport Department (RTD) in the federal capital on Saturday night. “In the three operations, RTD inspected 3,244 vehicles, issued 811 summonses, impounded 65 motorcycles and arrested riders, aged between 14 and 25, including foreigners,” he said yesterday. Muhammad Kifli said to date, 1,002 motorcycles had been impounded for various offences, particularly for extreme modifications and dangerous riding.

He said RTD has also stepped up action against the use of fancy number plates, with fines ranging from RM5,000 to RM10,000 under Section 108 of the Road Transport Act 1987. On operations against luxury vehicles, Muhammad Kifli said Op Luxury, launched on July 1, targeted owners who had failed to renew their road tax. He said 915 luxury vehicles had been seized,

Muhammad Kifli said the main offences included performing dangerous stunts like “Superman”, “wheelie” and “zigzag”, along with illegal racing that put other road users at risk. “The operations, which began at 10pm, were carried out following complaints from the public about noise and traffic disruption caused by the motorcyclists,” he said.

Senior RTD enforcement director Datuk Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan said the operations in Jalan Genting Sempah, the Gombak toll plaza and Jalan Ampang, near the KLCC Twin Towers, targeted motorcyclists riding dangerously and making modifications that do not comply with technical specifications.