Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching says safety features, not bans, are key to protecting children online, following a recent case of a child injured in a Roblox-inspired attack.
KULAI: Banning online games such as ‘Roblox’ is unlikely to resolve the issue of child safety, says Deputy Minister of Communications Teo Nie Ching.
She said the matter could be addressed if online games were equipped with appropriate safety features for children.
Teo noted this was among the issues discussed recently with the Commissioner for Children of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), Dr Farah Nini Dusuki.
“The ban only prevents children from playing these online games, but that may not be the best approach,” she said.
“The way to ensure these platforms are safe is by making sure there are appropriate safety features.”
She made the remarks when asked about child safety concerns involving online games, including Roblox.
Teo also reiterated her ministry’s commitment to continue addressing the issue through engagement with relevant stakeholders.
She stressed that efforts should not only involve online game providers but also activists, non-governmental organisations, and other relevant parties.
On Oct 27, a six-year-old boy in Batu Pahat was seriously injured when allegedly attacked by his nine-year-old brother, reportedly influenced by the online game Roblox.
Earlier, Teo, who is also Kulai MP, officiated a project costing RM90,000 to construct two accessible public toilets for persons with disabilities at Hospital Seri Maharaja Tun Ibrahim.
She said her parliamentary office had channelled various contributions totalling RM483,841 to the hospital since 2019.
