The government spokesman explained that the ban is based on a Cabinet decision to curb cross-age cybercrime, including protecting children from sexual predators, Berita Harian reported.

The ban also follows concerns over the rising incidents of cyberbullying, sexual harassment, and discipline problems among schoolchildren, which are often linked to early, unregulated exposure to social media.

“We hope that social media platforms will comply with the government’s decision to prohibit children under 16 from opening social media accounts by next year,” he said at the closing of a seminar in Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, today.

He added that one of the mechanisms being considered is requiring social media platforms to implement a registration process using official identification documents such as the MyKad, passport or MyDigital ID.

“Different countries may take different approaches, but we will study the most suitable method to ensure that those under 16 are prevented from having social media accounts,” he said.

“We expect all platforms to implement this by next year.

“I believe that if the government, regulatory bodies, and parents all play their roles, we can ensure that the internet in Malaysia is not only fast, widespread and affordable, but most importantly, safe, especially for children and families,” he added.