Advocating instead for child safety features in such games, Teo said this was among the issues discussed recently with Suhakam chief children’s commissioner Farah Nini Dusuki.

“The ban only prevents children from playing these online games, but that may not be the best approach.

“The best way to ensure these platforms are safe is making sure there are appropriate safety features,” Bernama reported her as saying in Kulai, Johor.

Teo reiterated her ministry’s commitment to continue engaging stakeholders, stressing that efforts should not only involve online game providers but also activists and NGOs.

On Oct 27, a six-year-old boy in Kampung Parit Nipah Laut, Batu Pahat, was severely injured after he was allegedly attacked by his nine-year-old brother, who was said to have been influenced by online gaming.

Police investigations found that the boy who slashed his younger brother in the neck had played Roblox quite extensively, accumulating about a million points in the game.

The victim had apparently damaged the brother’s phone, causing the latter to lose all the points he had collected.

Last month, women, family and community development minister Nancy Shukri said the government is considering a possible ban on Roblox amid growing concerns over safety issues and exposure to inappropriate content.

Youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh then said Roblox had given its assurance that it would enhance safety measures on its platform through the use of artificial intelligence and human monitoring, and to work with the government, particularly in data sharing and compliance with national regulations.

Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan also urged the government not to ban the online game, saying it would be a disproportionate measure, and that there were better ways to make the internet safer for children, such as age-based regulation.