ABIM calls for a national agenda on child safety, urging education reform, mental health care and digital safety after a school incident.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (ABIM) hopes that a recent school incident in Bandar Banting, Kuala Langat, will act as a catalyst for a National Agenda on Child and Adolescent Safety and Wellbeing that focuses on education reform, strengthening families, community empowerment, mental health care, and digital safety.
President Ahmad Fahmi Mohd Samsudin said the tragedy should be seen as a warning that Malaysia must re-evaluate the environment that shapes young people’s lives, values and behaviour.
He said the rapid changes in the digital environment affecting teenagers today call for a broader approach to ensure their emotional development, conduct and welfare are properly supported.
He said exposure to violent material, the normalisation of extreme behaviour, cyberbullying, online hate and toxic digital communities could have an impact on teenagers’ development without proper education, guidance and effective regulation.
“ABIM does not link the incident currently under investigation to any particular content, platform or factor. Any findings on the motive and contributing elements should be determined by the authorities based on evidence,” he said in a statement today.
ABIM supports the government’s move to tighten oversight of social media use among children and adolescents, but calls for stronger measures, including effective age-verification systems, increased accountability for digital platforms, and closer monitoring of risky content and algorithms.
According to Ahmad Fahmi, efforts to enhance student safety should be undertaken collectively, involving government ministries and agencies, higher education institutions, civil society organisations and digital platforms.
He said efforts should focus on developing good values and character, strengthening mental health support, preventing bullying and violence, promoting digital literacy, improving online safety and helping parents monitor their children’s internet use.
He urged a shift towards prevention through regular mental health screenings, more counsellors and psychologists, and teacher training to identify early signs of distress among students.
ABIM said responsibility should not rest solely with schools, as families and communities have an important role in providing support, building character and recognising early changes in teenagers’ behaviour.
Ahmad Fahmi also extended his sympathies to the victim and her family, while urging all parties to refrain from actions that could compromise the investigation or deepen the suffering of those affected.
