KUALA LUMPUR: A crime watch group has questioned how online groups which appear to promote sexual grooming of children have been allowed to operate unchecked in cyberspace.
Malaysians Against Rape, Assault and Snatch Theft (Marah) said social media platforms must be held accountable in such cases and that content moderation had to be more effective.
Marah founder Dave Avran said he was recently made aware of the existence of these groups and was appalled by how long they had gone unnoticed.
He cited the example of one group, which had over 6,000 members and another, which had more than 4,600 active members.
"One of these groups was created 10 years ago. That's a decade that these people have been able to freely mix with children online."
He said based on a check on one of the groups, it was clear that there were attempts to sexually groom children.
"The government needs to haul these social media platform operators up so that they get their act right.
"How much longer will our children be exposed to potential monsters online?" he asked.
On July 27, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) announced that social media and online messaging platforms with at least eight million users in Malaysia must apply for a licence from Aug 1.
The MCMC said this requirement was part of a new regulatory framework aimed at ensuring a safer online ecosystem.
The licence requirement will be enforced from Jan 1.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the licensing of social media platforms had the goal of enforcing stricter measures to prevent children from accessing social media platforms and to combat online predators.
"We want to put an end to paedophiles who use fake accounts to exploit children," he was quoted as saying.
According to a 2022 global survey titled "Disrupting Harm in Malaysia: Evidence on online child sexual exploitation and abuse", around 100,000 or four per cent of Malaysian children had been identified as victims of online sexual exploitation and abuse.
The Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division of Bukit Aman's Criminal Investigation Department recorded 18,326 child victims of crime from 2018 until Nov 30 last year, of which 81 of the cases were categorised as child grooming and another 92 involved child sexual abuse material.