What has been uncovered through Op Pedo 2.0 is nothing less than a national outrage. Just last December, Op Pedo 1.0 dismantled a major child-sexual-abuse-material (CSAM) network. Yet here we are, less than a year later, confronting another grotesque revelation: 31 suspects, including children as young as 12, caught in a sprawling web of digital exploitation.
Among those arrested, startling specifics have emerged. A 17-year-old suspect is reported to have earned RM76,000 through CSAM distribution in just the first nine months of 2025. The youngest suspect is a mere 12 years old. This isn’t an anomaly — it’s a symptom of how far this evil has evolved: from isolated deviance into a chilling, profit-driven industry hiding behind encrypted apps, social-media channels, cloud storage and digital wallets.
The operation — spanning Kedah, Selangor, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Perak, Johor, Sabah, Sarawak and Kelantan — resulted in the seizure of over 880,000 digital files of CSAM. Compare that to the roughly 40,000 seized under Op Pedo 1.0: this is a 20-fold increase. The math doesn’t lie, and the monster is growing.
I commend the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for their decisive coordination and breakthrough. Such major crackdowns reflect the vigilance and commitment of our enforcement agencies in responding to one of the most heinous and fast-evolving online threats. The collaboration between PDRM’s Sexual, Women and Child Investigation Division (D11) and the MCMC’s cybercrime unit is a testament to how law enforcement and regulatory bodies can — and must — work together to safeguard the digital space.
But enforcement alone is not enough. We must strengthen laws, raise the cost of this filthy trade to intolerable levels, hold tech platforms and service providers accountable — and mobilise parents, educators and communities alike.
These actions are not only necessary; they are critical. They send a clear message that Malaysia will not tolerate the abuse, exploitation and dehumanisation of children under the guise of anonymity or technological advancement. Every arrest, every seizure and every operation like Op Pedo is a crucial step in dismantling a dark digital underworld that preys on innocence.
The Malaysian public must recognise and support these ongoing efforts. Parents, educators and community leaders have a shared responsibility to stay vigilant, to teach children about digital safety, and to report any suspicious online activity.
Our children’s futures are at stake, and members of the public must not remain spectators. We must all be sentinels against digital predation — ready to act, report, educate and protect.
When innocence becomes a commodity, civilisation itself begins to decay. We will not stand by while our children become the currency of depravity.
To those who prey on children — you are not invisible, and you are not safe. Your screens won’t shield you; your fake names won’t hide you. You are parasites feeding on the innocence of the powerless. What you have done is not just criminal; it is vile, unforgivable, and an assault on humanity itself.
Malaysia will hunt you down, drag you into the light, and ensure justice is done.
SYERLEENA ABDUL RASHID
MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT FOR BUKIT BENDERA
