Youth Fellowship Launched To Empower Young Malaysians On Online Safety & Scam Awareness
At the end of the fellowship, participants will present policy recommendations to the Communications Ministry.
By Laila Zain — 13 Feb 2025, 11:34 AM
Ratio:Cause, CelcomDigi Berhad, the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (Content Forum), and Meta Platforms, Inc. have joined forces to launch Youths IRL
This fellowship, introduced in conjunction with Safer Internet Day 2025, aims to equip young changemakers with the knowledge and skills to champion online safety within their communities.
Following the success of Creators IRL, which empowered social media content creators to advocate for digital safety, the programme has now been expanded to include youth leaders aged 18 to 25.
These selected participants, hailing from Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Kedah, Perak, Sabah, and Sarawak, will undergo mentorship and training to address issues such as scam awareness, cyberbullying, and digital governance.
Creators IRL Fellows Sharing Panel Session featuring Raj Mahal, Hafiz Baharudin, Shahirah Shahrudin, and Esty Richard.
Image via Ratio:CauseThe Youths IRL fellowship selected 10 promising young individuals based on their interest in online safety issues, critical thinking skills, and proposed solutions to digital risks
Under the mentorship of key stakeholders including the Communications Ministry, CelcomDigi, Content Forum, PayNet, and CyberSecurity Malaysia, these youth leaders will gain expertise in digital safety, scam awareness, and policy-making.
At the end of the three-month fellowship, participants will present a working paper with policy recommendations on online content and Internet governance to the Communications Ministry.
This initiative ensures that youth voices are actively shaping Malaysia's digital policies.
Youths IRL Fellows and Creators IRL Fellows with TKSU (T) Mano Verabathran, Ministry of Communications, Mediha Mahmood, CEO of Content Forum, Philip Ling, Head of Sustainability of CelcomDigi, and ACP Lai Lee Chin.
Image via Ratio:Cause (Provided to SAYS)The fellowship is part of the broader Online Safety IRL campaign, which aims to equip Malaysians with the knowledge and habits needed to counteract growing online threats
The campaign consists of two key initiatives:
- Creators IRL Fellowship – A programme that trained 10 social media influencers, including Vikarworld, Raj Mahal, Alexey Brock, Hafiz Baharudin, Shahirah Shahrudin, Eizuwan Fulamak, Hubert Lee, Jane Teoh, Dharshamini Kesavan, and Esty Richard. Their safety-focused content has collectively garnered over seven million views and engagements across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
- Youths IRL Fellowship – Aimed at youth leaders who will drive peer-led awareness and policy advocacy on online safety.
The Online Safety IRL campaign has produced over 40 videos tackling issues such as scam awareness, child online safety, cyberbullying, online gaming dangers, and the importance of reporting threats through the National Scam Resource Centre's 997 hotline.
Supporting the programme, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching highlighted the need for continuous engagement with youths and content creators in improving the safety of digital spaces
"Tackling online threats requires a balanced approach, holding perpetrators accountable while empowering Internet users with knowledge to protect themselves. By equipping youths with knowledge of online safety and including youth voices in policymaking, we aim to work towards digital policies that reflect the experiences of Internet users.
"The Ministry of Communications aims to cultivate a digital environment that nurtures creativity, innovation, and freedom of expression while upholding the law.
"We are thankful for the content creators, youth leaders, and stakeholders in the social media and telecommunications industries who have committed themselves to working with us in achieving these goals," said Teo during the launch yesterday, 12 January at the Ministry of Communications, Putrajaya.
