KUALA LUMPUR – Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching has called on the Education Ministry (MOE) to lend its full support to the government’s Internet safety campaign in schools, stressing the urgent need to educate students on online risks from an early age.
Speaking after officiating the Kempen Internet Selamat (KIS) programme at Sekolah Kebangsaan Pasir Puteh here today, Teo said the campaign’s success depends on close inter-ministerial cooperation, especially to gain access to school communities across Malaysia, Bernama reported.
“We are requesting cooperation from the MOE to allow us into schools so we can involve schools in educating students on how to stay safe online,” she said on the campaign spearheaded by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
The KIS initiative, launched on January 21, focuses on four key areas: cyberbullying, online scams and gambling, child sexual exploitation, and digital literacy, including data protection.
Teo noted that the content is age-specific, with modules tailored for children in Years One to Three, Years Four to Six, and secondary school students.
“For primary schools, KIS will carry out interactive activities to help them understand. They may not need too much exposure to issues like online gambling and scams, but cyberbullying is one of the key issues they might face,” she added.
As of July 1, the campaign has reached 221 schools involving over 31,000 participants, including students, teachers and parents. By the end of the year, it aims to reach more than 10,000 educational institutions nationwide.
Between May and August alone, 344 schools are targeted — with 64 of them in Sabah.
Aside from schools, KIS has also partnered with various NGOs to run co-curricular activities that reinforce the campaign’s goals.
Students are also educated on the risks of child sexual exploitation — an issue Teo described as increasingly relevant in the digital age.
Earlier in the day, the deputy minister also attended the Mukim Luagan Community Outreach Programme organised by Pertubuhan Pelangi Harapan Sabah, which collaborated with several government agencies, including the Keningau District Health Office and National Anti-Drugs Agency.
“Health awareness is extremely important, especially with Malaysia expected to become an ageing nation by 2030. Grassroots outreach initiatives like this are among the best ways to ensure no one is left behind,” she said.
The outreach programme, according to Pertubuhan Pelangi Harapan chairman Grelydia Gillod, is intended to help the government deliver information directly to communities and build trust in the services provided under the Madani framework. – July 14, 2025