An MP today warned that Malaysia is facing a children’s mental health crisis, following a report on how excessive internet use, online gaming and exposure to pornography are fuelling anxiety, depression and sexual offences among minors.
Puchong MP Yeo Bee Yin said according to a 2024 Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) survey, more than half of Malaysian children were using the internet.
“Some 55.7% of children use the internet for one to four hours a day, and of those with access, 60.7% have their own device,” Yeo told the Dewan Rakyat.
Yeo, who chairs the parliamentary special select committee on women, children and community development, said this when tabling a report on digital safety and children’s mental health in Malaysia.
She said the excessive hours spent online had led to worrying trends, particularly…