logo
Motorcyclist sustains neck injury from stray kite string [WATCH]

Motorcyclist sustains neck injury from stray kite string [WATCH]

KUALA LUMPUR: A motorcyclist sustained neck injuries after riding into a stray kite string that had been stretched across the road and became entangled around a streetlight on Jalan Lingkaran Tengah 2.
The kite string is believed to have been originated from Taman Metropolitan Kepong, which is a popular kite flying area.
A circulating video on WhatsApp and Facebook shows a neck injury — a raw line of broken skin.
"I was lucky that my neck was covered with a piece of cloth," he said adding that his shirt and bag were also ripped in the incident.
"I want the authorities to take action. Thank you," the victim said in the video.
The police have been asked to comment.
Social media users voiced concern about the suitability of kite flying in city areas near roads.
"Cities are unsuitable for flying kites, especially near roads. It's fun to see kids play and clap when the kite flies high," said user Chepuan Hanim.
"It's dangerous. The other day I hit a kite that had detached from its string after being struck by the car ahead of me — a loud noise followed. It turned out the kite stick had hit the underside of the car before landing on the road," wrote Azimah Abdul Mutalib.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Digital paedophilia is still child abuse—even if the child is virtual
Digital paedophilia is still child abuse—even if the child is virtual

Focus Malaysia

timean hour ago

  • Focus Malaysia

Digital paedophilia is still child abuse—even if the child is virtual

DIGITAL paedophilia refers to the sexual exploitation of children in virtual spaces, through tools like artificial intelligence, deepfakes, cartoons, and virtual reality. These images may be digitally generated, and the children portrayed may not even exist in real life. Yet, the intent is deeply exploitative, the gratification it feeds is criminal, and the harm it causes individually and socially is undeniable. While this form of abuse doesn't always involve contact with a child, it normalises the sexualisation of minors, perpetuates a dangerous fantasy, and fuels demand in underground networks. As a criminologist, I've seen how what initially began as 'just digital content' has the potential to desensitise consumers and eventually lead to real-world offending. It systematically erodes the legal, ethical, and societal safeguards established to protect the rights and dignity of children. This threat is amplified by the pervasive culture of online sharing. Many individuals, including parents, are drawn to posting their daily lives on social media, treating platforms like Facebook and TikTok as digital diaries. While these platforms foster connection and self-expression, they also expose users—particularly children—to serious risks. It is disturbingly easy to download images from Facebook and extract videos from TikTok, even without the content owner's knowledge or consent. Once uploaded, these digital footprints can be stolen, altered, and weaponised for exploitation. Digital paedophilia can take many forms, for instance AI-generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that mimics realistic children in sexual scenarios; deepfakes that superimpose children's faces—often taken from social media—onto adult bodies in explicit content; illustrated pornography (such as hentai or lolicon) that sexualises underage characters; and virtual reality simulations that allow users to act out child abuse fantasies in immersive settings. What makes this even more dangerous is that it's easy to access, easy to share, and hard to trace. The perpetrators hide behind screens, usernames, and encrypted platforms. And yet, the damage is far from virtual. Malaysia has made commendable strides with the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, the Penal Code, and the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998—all of which provide mechanisms to combat traditional forms of child sexual abuse, including live-streamed exploitation. However, these laws still fall short when it comes to digital creations. Many of these materials are not technically illegal under current definitions of CSAM, because no real child was involved in their creation. But does that make them any less harmful? I would argue not. These depictions, no matter how 'virtual', are created with the intent of sexualising minors and should be recognised as forms of child sexual exploitation. Other countries have taken this step. The UK, Canada, and Australia have criminalised virtual child pornography, recognising that a legal definition limited only to real, identifiable victims is inadequate in the face of emerging technology. Therefore, Malaysia must consider doing the same. The harms of digital paedophilia are not hypothetical. Every day, images of real children—often taken innocently by their parents and shared online—are stolen, manipulated, and repurposed into sexual content. This is a profound violation of dignity, privacy, and safety. These children may never know what was done to their image, but the psychological and reputational damage can be lifelong. Unlike Denmark, which recognises an individual's legal right to their own image and personal likeness through robust copyright and data protection laws, Malaysia currently lacks explicit legal provisions that grant individuals—particularly children—ownership and control over the use of their personal images. This legal vacuum leaves Malaysian children especially vulnerable to digital exploitation, with limited recourse or protection under current frameworks. Moreover, digital abuse fuels cognitive distortions in those with paedophilic tendencies. Studies show that repeated exposure to virtual CSAM lowers inhibition, increases desensitisation, and can serve as a gateway to contact offences. As a society, we cannot afford to wait until a physical child is harmed to institute any action. The damage begins long before that. Therefore, an effective and urgent response is required. This includes amending existing laws to explicitly cover digitally created and AI-generated child sexual abuse material. We must criminalise intent and impact, not just physical involvement. Social media platforms, app developers, and AI companies must also be held accountable for detecting, reporting, and removing exploitative content—technological innovation must not come at the expense of child safety. Digital literacy should no longer be seen as optional. Parents, children, and educators must be equipped with the knowledge to understand the risks of oversharing online and how personal images can be misused. Every policy, investigation, and reform effort must place the child at the centre—not merely as a legal category, but as a human being deserving of dignity, protection, and justice. Digital paedophilia sits at the intersection of technological progress and moral regression. As artificial intelligence and virtual reality continue to advance, so too does the capacity to simulate harm, commodify children, and conceal abuse behind layers of code. But just because the abuse is virtual does not mean it is any less real. The law must evolve to meet this challenge because every child, whether real or digitally represented, deserves to be safe from sexual exploitation. ‒ July 24, 2025 Dr Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid is a Criminologist and Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of Malaya. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia. Main image: Unsplash/jin Woo Lee

Man probed over grossly provocative post against PM
Man probed over grossly provocative post against PM

Free Malaysia Today

time2 hours ago

  • Free Malaysia Today

Man probed over grossly provocative post against PM

The offending post was uploaded on social media on July 2 but no further details were provided by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. PETALING JAYA : A man is said to be under investigation over a posting he made on his Facebook account. When contacted, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) confirmed that it had initiated an investigation against the suspect for 'uploading false and grossly provocative contents' against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. The suspect's mobile phone and SIM card have been seized to assist the investigation under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. The offending post was uploaded on social media on July 2. However, no other details were provided by MCMC.

Zayn Rayyan's mother clarifies WhatsApp message in court
Zayn Rayyan's mother clarifies WhatsApp message in court

The Sun

time2 hours ago

  • The Sun

Zayn Rayyan's mother clarifies WhatsApp message in court

PETALING JAYA: The mother of Zayn Rayyan Abdul Matin clarified in court that a WhatsApp message containing the phrase 'lantaklah nak hidup ke nak mati' was meant for herself, not her six-year-old son. Ismanira Abdul Manaf, 30, explained that the message was sent to her husband, Zaim Ikhwan Zahari, during a moment of distress while searching for their missing child at Apartment Idaman, Damansara Damai, on Dec 5, 2023. 'The message was not aimed at my son. I was frantic and desperate for my husband's help at that time,' she said during the defence trial. The court heard that the message was retrieved from her iPhone during the investigation into Zayn Rayyan's death. A close friend of Ismanira, Umi Syafiqah Rohizal, testified that she had never seen the couple neglect their children. 'She was always careful with them, holding their hands when walking around the apartment,' Umi said. The couple was initially charged with neglecting their autistic son under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001. However, the husband was acquitted, while Ismanira was ordered to enter her defence. The trial continues on Aug 4. - Bernama

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store