KUCHING: The government will review public feedback before proceeding with plans to set a social media age limit, reintroduce caning, and ban mobile phones in schools to ensure balanced implementation and in line with societal needs.
Minister of Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri said that the proposal to reintroduce caning in schools is still under discussion and no final decision has been made.
“Given the current situation, there has been a proposal to reinstate caning in schools. However, there are also opinions that caning could traumatise children. It has indeed been discussed, but we also need to consider public feedback,” she said.
She said this when met by reporters after officiating at the ‘Kasih Keluarga’ Programme and kick-off of the National Family Month 2025 celebration in conjunction with Santubong Day at Dataran Astaka Lagenda, Kampung Santubong, near here today.
Nancy added that careful consideration of public opinion is needed as rushed decisions may result in procedures that are not favoured, especially by students who might fear attending school.
She said this when met with reporters after officiating the the Kasih Keluarga Programme and kick-off of the National Family Month 2025 celebration in conjunction with Santubong Day at at Dataran Astaka Lagenda, Kampung Santubong here today (Oct 18).
On the proposed ban on mobile phones in schools, Nancy said the government would also assess public sentiment before enforcing it.
“I personally asked teenagers how they feel, and opinions are mixed – some agree, while others prefer certain conditions.
“That is why we are observing before fully implementing it, as it involves both legal and technological considerations,” she said.
Nancy also said that the proposal to set an age limit for social media use has been raised, adding that insights will be drawn from countries that have already implemented such measures.
“As it is still in discussion, we are looking at other countries that have introduced such policies — how they implemented them.
“We are still learning to educate the public on responsible smartphone use. We need to be experts in this area as well.
“This has been discussed as part of our family programmes, including educating parents to understand it,” she said.
She added that the initiative requires a whole-of-nation approach, involving the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), the Ministry of Education, Higher Education, Health, and other relevant agencies.
“No final decision has been made yet, as further meetings will be held involving several ministries, including ours,” she said.
She said that her ministry’s priority is to strengthen the foundation of family and child development.
“We need to enhance our modules and improve the knowledge of our officers. We must understand ourselves first before we can teach others. That is what we are currently doing,” she stressed.
