Story and photos by ROSHINEE MOOKAIAH
brats@thestar.com.my

WE’VE all heard stories before – distressed Nigerian princes requesting financial investment, hacked Facebook and Twitter accounts, “catfish” cases involving fake lovers, etc. – without any of it really affecting us.

But for the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), these cyber crimes are things they have to deal with on a daily basis.

And that’s why MCMC introduced Klik Dengan Bijak (KDB) in 2012, to educate the public on how to use the Internet wisely based on three pillars – safety, security and responsibility. The BRATs were sent to cover one of their events in Sandakan, Sabah recently, a Klik Dengan Bijak Camp organised with the Scouts Association of Malaysia.

The event saw over 1,000 scouts aged 13-17 from all over Sabah taking part in four days of activities promoting responsible Internet usage in fun and innovative ways.

In an interview with the BRATs, MCMC Chairman Datuk Mohamed Shahril Mohamed Tarmizi said: “Malaysians need to be aware that there are people out there who are ready to prey on our ignorance, so we have to be prepared.”

He added that the Scouts Association has emerged as “a strategic ally to the KDB programme”, as they have members across different ages, genders and races all over Malaysia.

“As a disciplinary body, all scouts have the potential to lead and educate their peers. Therefore, initiatives have been and are being taken to train them to be a reference point to others when it comes to issues オンライン カジノ regarding cyber safety and Internet ethics,” said Shahril.

The camp saw the scouts participating in various information technology modules combined with scouting activities to illustrate the importance of Internet safety.

They also had a talent show, where the scouts were encouraged to put together a creative performance promoting Internet safety. Local rapper Caprice was there as a guest judge and performer.

The 26-year-old artiste attended the camp to promote his upcoming educational platform, JIFFY, and spoke about cyber bullying.

No stranger to online bullying, Caprice said, “Kids nowadays have access to everything on the Internet and sometimes, when they get bad content, it affects them negatively. That’s why I made it my mission to reach out to the kids and help them in whatever way I can.”

Upon completion of the camp, the scouts were rewarded with special Klik Dengan Bijak badges.

Senior director of MCMC’s Outreach and Engagement Division Eneng Faridah hopes that after the camp, the scouts would be able to share their knowledge with their friends and family.

She said: “You are who you are, be it online or offline. So whatever you do, do it with integrity.”