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KOTA KINABALU: Awareness of cybersecurity must begin at home and in schools to ensure that parents and children do not fall victim to online crimes, including cyberbullying, scams and hacking, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak) Datuk Mustapha Sakmud.

He said early exposure to the risks associated with Internet use is crucial, as cyber threats are becoming increasingly intertwined with daily life, particularly among the younger generation.

“As we are all aware, there are now many cases of cyberbullying, scams and hacking that occur while we are surfing the Internet. In Sabah alone, scam cases recorded 321 complaints last year, while another 152 complaints have been recorded up to the second quarter of this year. We hope this figure will continue to decline.

“As for hacking cases, a total of 159 complaints were recorded last year, while 30 complaints have been recorded up to the second quarter of this year,” he said when officiating the Kota Kinabalu District Safe Internet Campaign Community Carnival 2026 at Kampung Darau Laut, here, Saturday.

More than 500 visitors attended the carnival organised by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), which also featured interactive Internet safety learning experiences through Virtual Reality (VR) technology, as well as a live podcast session themed “Safe Internet, Shared Responsibility” involving panellists from various backgrounds.