00:01When we talk about online predators, it is easy to imagine something obvious.
00:06It could be a strange account or a suspicious message.
00:10But it often doesn't start that way.
00:13Sometimes it starts with a normal-looking profile.
00:16Someone who likes the same videos, plays the same game,
00:19or keeps showing up in the comments until they feel familiar.
00:23And for children, that can be hard to read.
00:26In Malaysia, children are already spending a lot of life online.
00:30Research found that 94% of children aged 12 to 17 use the internet,
00:36and 91% use social media every week.
00:39So this is not just about children finding dangerous spaces,
00:43but about predators entering the spaces children already use.
00:48Mogana Devi Nadesen, Program Officer from Protect and Save the Children,
00:52said digital platforms have made it easier for predators to reach children anonymously.
00:58She said that in the past, offenders often needed some prior connection.
01:02Now they do not.
01:04They can create a fake account, watch what a child posts, learn what they like, and find a way in.
01:12Maybe through a comment, a message, or a game.
01:15A police source who wished to remain anonymous told FMT that offenders have used platforms like WhatsApp,
01:22WeChat, MeChat, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Beagle.
01:27Some have also approached children through games like Roblox and Mobile Legends.
01:32That is what makes this tricky.
01:35In these spaces, talking to strangers can feel normal.
01:38A stranger in a game lobby may not feel like a stranger.
01:42A follower may not feel threatening.
01:44Social activist Lee Lam Thay described the internet as a hunting ground
01:49where predators exploit a child's curiosity and emotional vulnerability.
01:54He said many children may not realize they are being targeted until the harm has already happened.
02:00That process is called grooming.
02:03It can begin with jokes, compliments, attention, gifts, or help in a game.
02:09Then the conversation moves somewhere private.
02:12Boundaries are tested.
02:14And by the time something feels wrong, the child may be confused, ashamed, or scared to tell anyone.
02:22Data from the police gives a sense of the scale.
02:25Between 2024 and 2026, authorities arrested 117 people in raids across 162 locations.
02:33They also found 205,000 files containing child sexual abuse material among more than 1.47 million digital files seized.
02:43But the police source warned that the cases people hear about are only the tip of the iceberg.
02:48The reality behind them, the source said, is very frightening.
02:54Malaysia is now preparing stricter online safety measures for users under 16.
02:59Communications Minister Fahmi Fazil has said the aim is to limit harmful interactions
03:03and children's exposure to strangers online, with stronger age checks and parental supervision.
03:09But enforcement cannot do everything.
03:12Children are not going offline.
03:15Their friendships, games, entertainment, and school lives are already tied to the internet.
03:21So the challenge is helping them recognize when friendliness becomes control,
03:25making it easier to speak up, and reminding parents that danger online may not look unusual.
03:30It may just look like someone being nice.
03:33Patosh Abused FMT
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