By: Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, Chairman, Alliance for a Safe Community
KOTA KINABALU: The Alliance for a Safe Community is deeply concerned over the rising number of sexual crimes involving minors in the country.
This alarming trend reflects a serious moral crisis, weakening social control, and a lack of understanding of self-worth and responsibility among our younger generation.
The main contributing factors include excessive exposure to pornographic and immoral content on social media, peer influence, poor parental supervision, and the lack of comprehensive sex and moral education in schools. In today’s digital era, children and teenagers can easily access inappropriate materials through their smartphones, often without proper filtering or guidance.
In addition, the lack of love, attention, and effective communication within families also contributes to this growing problem.
Many young people who do not receive affection or guidance at home turn to external sources for validation and end up in risky relationships, sometimes becoming victims or perpetrators of sexual crimes.
To address this serious issue, a comprehensive and integrated approach is urgently needed. The following measures should be taken:
1. Introduce comprehensive sex and moral education in schools – not just biology, but emphasising respect for one’s body, personal boundaries, and social responsibility.
2. Provide training and support for parents so they can detect behavioural changes in their children and monitor their use of the internet and social media.
3. Strengthen monitoring of online platforms and social media to curb the spread of pornographic content and sexual grooming activities.
4. Empower communities, schools, and NGOs to carry out awareness campaigns, counselling, and early intervention for at-risk youths.
5. Enforce stricter laws against offenders and those who distribute pornographic materials to minors.
Preventing sexual crimes among minors is not the sole responsibility of law enforcement agencies—it requires the collective effort of parents, educators, and the entire community.
Everyone must work together to ensure our children grow up in a safe, disciplined, and morally sound environment.
The moral and mental well-being of today’s youth determines the future of our nation. Therefore, tackling sexual crimes involving minors must be treated as a national priority, supported by a holistic and sustained action plan involving all stakeholders.
The Alliance for a Safe Community calls on the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development to step up preventive measures in schools and communities. This includes strengthening value-based education, expanding counselling services, deploying trained personnel for early intervention, and working closely with parents and NGOs. Only through coordinated effort can we protect our young generation and ensure a safer future for all.
