Wanita PKR urges action after FB group found sharing pics of children
PETALING JAYA:
Wanita PKR has urged swift action against anything that perpetuates sexual crimes against minors after the discovery of a Facebook group sharing photos of underage schoolchildren.
The party wing demanded that the police, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and women, family and community development ministry take immediate and serious action on the matter.
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'Wanita PKR also calls on parents and all of society to be constantly alert and responsible for the safety of children from sexual violence.
'(This includes) monitoring social media for groups with elements of obscenity, grooming and sexual harassment, and for comments that insult the modesty of children,' it said in a statement today.
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The 'Group Budak2 Sekolah Rendah' page, now inaccessible, had over 12,000 members and many explicitly sexual comments and captions on its photos.
The images included underage students wearing primary and secondary school uniforms, traditional wear, sports attire, and casual clothing.
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The issue came to light after rapper Ariz Ramli, better known as Caprice, was notified of the group's existence via an Instagram message. The group was then reported to MCMC as well as the police.
Influencer Wee Yun Nee, also known as Mekyun, spoke out about the issue as well after realising that photos from her childhood were also circulating on the page.
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The group's circulation of children's images without consent for the purpose of inciting sexual harassment violates both the Child Act 2001 and Section 211 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which pertains to 'offensive content'.
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