The ASEAN ICT Forum has gathered policymakers and key leaders of the region who engaged in discussions on a lot of topics, including how to protect the kids within the digital world.
Malaysia used this year’s gathering to reaffirm its leadership in the space, and you could hear that clearly when Minister of Women, Family and Community Development YB Dato’ Sri Hajah Nancy Shukri talked about how technology is reshaping how kids learn and connect, while also exposing them to cyberbullying, grooming, exploitation, misinformation, and the pressure of being constantly online. She stressed that these problems don’t stop at borders, so the solutions shouldn’t either, and that regional cooperation is the only way forward.
A big part of the event was ensuring young people had a real voice. UNICEF’s Young People’s Advisory Group helped design the Forum, making sure discussions reflected lived experiences on issues like digital wellbeing, mental health, and online inclusion for children with disabilities. UNICEF Representative Robert Gass echoed that same message, saying safety should be built into every click, platform, and policy, and that meaningful progress happens only when governments, schools, tech companies and families all share responsibility.
One major milestone during the Forum was the launch of Malaysia’s National Child Policy Action Plan, officiated by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He explained that Malaysia wants to empower children to use technology confidently without exposing them to harm, and that the country is pushing a whole-of-government effort that brings together ministries, regulators, educators, parents, communities and tech companies. The idea is simple: children can’t thrive if they’re unsafe, and they can’t succeed if they’re unprepared, so both protection and opportunity have to coexist.
But the discussion wasn’t just policy deep-dives. A sobering statistic from the Disrupting Harm study showed that one in 25 Malaysian children aged 12 to 17 has experienced online sexual exploitation or abuse, yet only three per cent would consider reporting it. That gap between harm and help became a central point of concern throughout the Forum. Young voices like Allyzsa Zahril from the Young Persons Advisory Group reminded everyone how important it is for children to have safe and judgment-free reporting channels when something goes wrong online.
That urgency fueled conversations around building better systems that are easy to use, stigma-free, and designed from the ground up with children’s rights in mind. Much of the Forum’s energy went into advocating for safety-by-design principles and pushing for child-friendly apps and technologies that protect them automatically, rather than placing the burden on them to stay safe.
As ASEAN moves forward with its next Regional Plan of Action on Child Online Protection (2026–2030), the Forum served as a key moment to align national priorities and strengthen collective action. Everyone walked away with the same overarching goal: to create digital spaces where every child in the region can learn, participate, and thrive safely.
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