Fahmi says gadgets not parents, while gamer MP cautions Roblox ban

PARLIAMENT | Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, a father himself, issued parental advice on the matter of children using electronic devices.

Gadgets are neither a replacement for parents nor nannies, he stressed, adding that parents need to know what their children are watching and playing.

“The government can impose licences, ban (games), but we as parents also have our role,” he told the Dewan Rakyat today during his ministry’s winding speech on the Supply Bill 2026.

He also provided a parent’s perspective on recent debates over whether the government should ban Roblox, a free-to-play online gaming platform popular among children.

“Indeed, Roblox itself met with me and the deputy minister (Teo Nie Ching) recently to provide a little explanation, and in the explanation session, I had explained to Roblox that I myself had banned my children from playing Roblox,” he revealed.

He said his son had become engrossed with Roblox to the point that it had affected his studies.

“Sometimes, when called to eat, he would not come,” Fahmi added.

This was in response to Syahredzan Johan (Harapan-Bangi), who urged the government not to ban the video game platform.

Roblox allows users to create, share, and play games built by other players. Launched in 2006, it has grown into one of the world’s most popular gaming hubs, with over 70 million daily active users - many of them children.

Unlike traditional video games, Roblox functions more like a digital sandbox. Players can build virtual worlds, design their own games, and interact with others in real time through chat features.

Total ban ‘drastic, disproportionate’

Syahredzan said that banning Roblox would be too drastic and disproportionate.

“I think there is a way for us to see how we can make sure that video games like Roblox are ultimately safe. It is safe for kids; it is just that the online element is what we need to look at. 

“So we must see how we can tighten the use of these online games, make sure that children under the age of 16 do not use their parents’ accounts to go online,” he added.

He cited his own experience, saying that he was an avid gamer since he was a child, yet he had learnt to be a proper person as well.

Heated discussions of banning Roblox have come up of late, after a recent incident where a nine-year-old boy allegedly slashed his younger brother’s neck after losing points on the platform.

On Oct 29, Johor police chief Ab Rahaman Arsad said police are investigating an incident in Batu Pahat involving a nine-year-old boy who allegedly attacked his six-year-old brother after experiencing hallucinations believed to be linked to Roblox.

The day after, Fahmi said his ministry is assessing the need to license at least 10 types of online games, including Roblox, which is deemed unsuitable for children under the age of 16.

Besides that, Fahmi said that 10 subsidiary instruments will be introduced to further empower the Online Safety Act (OSA) 2024.

He did not elaborate on this, but a Bernama report from June quoted the minister as saying that the OSA will be enforced once the MCMC’s 10 regulatory guidelines are finalised.

Reporting by Zarrah Morden, Alyaa Alhadjri, Nantha B Kumar

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