AI deepfakes, extremist recruitment: PAS MP sounds alarm over threats to children

PARLIAMENT | PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden has warned of growing digital threats to children, citing the alleged circulation of AI-generated nude images involving more than 300 schoolgirls in Seremban and reports of extremist recruitment through online gaming platforms.

Speaking during the Supply Bill 2027 debate in the Dewan Rakyat today, the Alor Setar MP questioned whether existing enforcement measures were sufficient to protect children from emerging online threats.

He highlighted the recent case involving...

PARLIAMENT | PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden has warned of growing digital threats to children, citing the alleged circulation of AI-generated nude images involving more than 300 schoolgirls in Seremban and reports of extremist recruitment through online gaming platforms.

Speaking during the Supply Bill 2027 debate in the Dewan Rakyat today, the Alor Setar MP questioned whether existing enforcement measures were sufficient to protect children from emerging online threats.

He highlighted the recent case involving more than 300 female students at a secondary school in Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, whose faces were allegedly superimposed onto nude images using artificial intelligence (AI).

"Imagine your child's face suddenly circulating on social media, on the internet, appearing naked, but with someone else's body.

"Where is that child's dignity? Imagine the trauma they have to endure.

"As fathers, how are we supposed to face this? Even if we are angry or ashamed, how do we find those responsible?" he asked.

The concerns echo findings from a five-part Malaysiakini investigation into child sexual abuse material (CSAM), which exposed how social media platforms, including Telegram, were exploited to distribute and sell abusive content involving children.

READ MORE: The invisible network behind Malaysia’s child sexual abuse materials industry

The investigation, published between July and August, also documented the experiences of Malaysian victims whose images were manipulated into sexually explicit deepfakes, highlighting their emotional trauma and the difficulties they faced seeking justice.

Afnan further questioned the authorities' ability to identify perpetrators responsible for creating and circulating manipulated images.

"How is it that we are a developing nation with advanced technology and AI, yet we still cannot prevent the spread of these fake images?

"Whether it involves political leaders or anyone else, especially innocent children who know nothing about what is happening," he said.

On Monday, Harian Metro reported that the Seremban case came to light in August after a Form Two student reportedly discovered explicit images on an unlocked smartphone found at her school's surau.

According to the Malay daily, lawyer Ng Kian Nam, representing affected families, said the manipulated images were allegedly circulated among students and sold through Telegram.

Ng said the school had acknowledged during a Sept 15 meeting with parents, the parent-teacher association, school board and state education officials that more than 300 students could have been affected.

Negeri Sembilan police chief Alzafny Ahmad confirmed that police received five reports between Aug 20 and 23 involving female students aged between 14 and 17.

Roblox recruitment concerns

Turning to online gaming platforms, Afnan cited recent remarks by former deputy inspector-general of police Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay about extremist groups targeting children through Roblox.

The PAS MP said the reported recruitment methods demonstrated how online gaming environments expose children to extremist ideologies.

"They approach children online and get to know them. They then bring them into another group chat, where they begin planting their doctrines.

"Misguided doctrines, distorting religion, encouraging them to fight others, kill people, oppose the police and the government.

"This is extremely dangerous," said Afnan.

On Oct 18, Ayob Khan reportedly warned that children as young as 12 had been targeted by extremist recruiters through gaming platforms such as Roblox.

According to Free Malaysia Today, he said extremists would initially befriend children online before moving them into private groups where they were indoctrinated and encouraged to carry out attacks.

Following the revelation, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the MCMC was studying mechanisms to extend age restrictions to online gaming platforms.

Yesterday, Fahmi also announced plans to strengthen cross-border cooperation on online child safety after meeting Indonesian Communication and Digital Affairs Minister Meutya Hafid at Bali Tech Week 2026.

Calls for school safety audits

Beyond online threats, Afnan proposed a “traffic-light classification system” to assess school safety risks, focusing on the building’s overall layout.

Under the proposed classification, Afnan said green indicates relatively safe schools, yellow signals areas requiring caution, and red identifies schools needing urgent attention.

"Many crimes happen in toilets, including murders and rapes. Why? Because they are located at the ends of buildings, hidden and isolated.

"These areas need to be audited again, including reviewing the location of toilets," he said.

He argued these classifications could guide the allocation of maintenance and improvement funds based on each school's risk level.