Malaysia reviews Child Act to tackle peer grooming and online abuse
The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry is studying whether to add provisions on peer grooming to the pending Child Act amendments.
During the launch of the National Reproductive Health Symposium 2026 in Putrajaya, Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri announced that the upcoming amendments to the Child Act 2001 will consider how to address peer grooming among youths. She emphasized coordination with the Home Ministry and other relevant bodies to ensure any new clauses are appropriate and do not expose children to double jeopardy. The proposal comes after the CID director, Datuk M. Kumar, reported that a recent nationwide operation, Op Pedo Bersepadu PDRM-MCMC 3.0, resulted in 53 arrests, including eight minors involved in creating and selling animated child sexual abuse material online.
Authorities aim to incorporate emerging issues into legislation so that future gaps are minimized. The ministry plans to study recent developments thoroughly before finalising the amendment text.
Why it matters
Updating the Child Act could strengthen legal protection for children against emerging online exploitation.
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