Asked about ‘swingers' crackdown, home minister reveals sex exploitation WhatsApp group involving 12-year-olds
Saifuddin said the police have recently uncovered a case where children as young as 12 were being exploited online to sell images of themselves.
'Some even dropped out of school because the income they were earning was higher than their parents' salaries,' Saifuddin said during Question Time here.
Saifuddin said the ring started after a 12-year-old girl created a website with four of her friends, and a WhatsApp group where their child sexual exploitation materials were shared grew to 762 members.
He did not state whether the members of the group involved adults or minors.
However, he stressed that cases involving children could not be tackled by enforcement alone and required wider involvement.
'This shows how serious the issue is. When dealing with cases involving 12-year-olds, we must involve other agencies as well,' he said.
Saifuddin was responding to Jerai MP Sabri Azit, who had asked whether the police are acting against 'swinger' — where consenting adults swap their partners, usually spouses, for sex.
In reply, he said that depending on the circumstances, five laws may apply on such situations: the Penal Code, the Communications and Multimedia Act, the Sexual Offences Against Children Act (if minors are involved), the Film Censorship Act, as well as Shariah enactments.
He cited a case in August 2024, where police from the D7 anti-vice and gambling prevention unit detected websites promoting such activities, which later led to a raid on a luxury condominium in Kuala Lumpur.
'Among those arrested were public and private university students, civil servants and foreigners. The case has since been charged under Section 372 of the Penal Code and is ongoing,' he said.
Saifuddin added that while legislation and enforcement are important, building strong family and community values was equally necessary to address such crimes.
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