Abang Johari speaks during the town hall session in Kuala Lumpur today. – Screengrab via Youtube/Sarawak Public Communications Unit

KUCHING (Oct 25): Limiting social media access for children aged 16 and below could be an effective measure to address disciplinary issues stemming from early exposure to harmful online content, said Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg.

He said young children who are still developing mentally and emotionally are particularly vulnerable to the negative influence of unfiltered digital platforms.

“I, too, worry about too much exposure to social media among our teens. Filter is necessary, which limits access to information. This can be done as technology is there.

“One of the steps to solve and minimise this problem is content control, limit the access,” he said.

Abang Johari was responding to a question during the Town Hall Session with the Premier in conjunction with Lan Berambeh Anak Sarawak 2025 at the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre in Kuala Lumpur today.

The question, raised by a participant, touched on how the state plans to strengthen child and adolescent development in schools amid Sarawak’s rapid digital transformation — especially following a rise in cases of cyberbullying, sexual harassment, and student discipline problems linked to social media exposure.

The Premier also reflected on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in modern life, noting that while it accelerates problem-solving, it cannot replace human qualities such as empathy, emotion, and moral judgment.

He said there are aspects that AI can never excel in, especially emotions that involve the heart and mind

“Like a broken heart, AI cannot handle it, but this is something that human beings have to manage. AI is a machine that has no common sense like the human brain, that has a sequence of data to process in a humane way, and see the logical sequence.

“Machines depend on the input and process. After all, AI is all about input. When you are mature, you know the good and bad of AI,” he said, adding that AI is an accelerated process for humans to solve issues.

He even encouraged the Sarawakian student who posed the question to explore the intersection of neurology and AI.

“Do research on human brain versus machine. Use our Yayasan Sarawak scholarship to do research on this,” he said.

Responding to another query, Abang Johari clarified that Sarawak’s free tertiary education policy currently excludes Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes, as several federal agencies already provide such training.

He cited the Industrial Training Institute (ILP), Malaysian Productivity Corporation (MPC) and Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) as among those offering TVET opportunities.

“We did not take TVET into account because training has been provided by these government agencies. However, I will take note of this and see what we can do,” he said.