KUCHING: Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri has proposed the establishment of a national expert team on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Natural Intelligence (NI) to strengthen digital advocacy programmes for children.
She said the team was necessary as current school modules lacked structured content on AI and NI despite increasing exposure among children through online gaming.
Nancy noted that she raised the proposal during a recent Cabinet meeting, where she sought the Digital Ministry’s support to develop the specialised group.
“We need this expert team because our advocacy content has not fully addressed AI and NI.
“Many children are influenced by AI through gaming, and we must teach them that AI is artificial while they are the natural intelligence.
“I conveyed this to the Cabinet yesterday, and although it has not been acted upon, it remains a shared responsibility,” she told the media after attending the Citra Akademik Untuk Komuniti Dan Alam (CAKnA) programme at Kampung Salak, Santubong today (Nov 22).
The Santubong MP said the new content would support parents and teachers, complementing TikTok’s #ThinkTwice parental guidance launched with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and industry partners.
She explained that her ministry had been running digital wellbeing advocacy in at least 300 schools annually, reaching both students and local communities.
She said this year’s outreach exceeded the target, recording engagements with 327 schools as of Oct 3 through combined school and community-based programmes.
“We did not only go to schools but also to community activity centres so that parents receive the same information.
“This ensures students, parents and the community understand their roles in protecting children online.
“Guides like this are essential when children are increasingly exposed to new technologies,” she added.
Nancy said she also requested her ministry to coordinate with the police’s Sexual/Domestic Violence/Child Abuse Investigation (D11) division to strengthen statutory rape awareness in future modules.
She stressed that children needed clear explanations of the legal and personal implications of sexual activity, especially as some viewed consensual cases among minors as unfairly applied.
“Every child has the right to understand the consequences of such acts. We do not want them to take risks simply because they do not know the legal implications.
“Our responsibility is to educate and protect children, not to punish girls involved in consensual cases,” she said.
As such, Nancy assured her ministry would continue expanding the advocacy programme through schools, Child Activity Centres (PAKK) and Community Service Centres (PKK).
She said broader community involvement remained crucial to ensure digital protection messages reached households, rural areas and vulnerable groups.
