KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 (Bernama) -- Digital literacy must be treated as a fundamental right and priority in addressing online harm, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
He said while laws and regulations are important, a lack of digital literacy remains a critical gap, particularly in educating users on their rights in the online space.
“What’s more fundamental is digital literacy, which is sorely missing in a lot of our basic education about our rights.
“We often demand to have fast internet, cheap internet, but we never really, truly demand or know our rights when it comes to safer internet,” he said during a special session of the Women’s Rights Conference 2026: “Together We Create PowHER” themed “Online Safety and Harassment - Combating Online Violence and Promoting Digital Safety for Women in ASEAN”, here today.
Fahmi was among the speakers alongside regional representatives from ASEAN member states, which include Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Fahmi also stressed the need to protect children, particularly those under the age of 16, from online risks and misuse of personal data.
“We should be more precious of our personal data. For children under the age of 16, not only are they exposed to online harms, including sexual predators…but without the right digital literacy, they give up so much of their digital rights and their personal data forever,” he said.
He also highlighted that Malaysia is considering measures to limit social media use among those under 16, in line with moves by countries such as Indonesia, Australia, the United Kingdom and Spain.
Fahmi noted that ASEAN member countries have taken a collective approach in addressing online harms, including cyberbullying and gender-based online violence, through the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on the Safe and Responsible Use of Social Media Platforms for ASEAN, signed on Oct 26 last year.
The one-day conference brings together policymakers, legal practitioners and regional experts to discuss women’s rights, leadership and digital safety, including challenges posed by online harassment.
-- BERNAMA
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