Police have not ruled out the possibility that the popular online game among children, Roblox, may have influenced the incident involving a six-year-old boy who was slashed on the neck in Batu Pahat recently.
Johor Police Chief Datuk Ab Rahaman Arsad said the incident took place in Kampung Parit Nipah Laut, Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, where the victim was found with a slash wound on his neck and stab injuries on his body.
Parents of the suspect and victim have been detained
He said the parents of both children, aged in their 40s, have been detained to assist with the investigation. According to Ab Rahaman, initial investigations revealed that the victim’s older brother had been playing Roblox excessively and had managed to collect about one million points in the game.
“Based on our preliminary investigation, the injuries sustained by the child were likely inflicted by his nine-year-old brother. However, the motive is still under investigation. There is a possibility that it is related to the game application, Roblox, which the victim’s brother played on his smartphone,” he said.
He stated this after the Johor police monthly assembly at the Johor Police Contingent Headquarters (IPK) today. He added that it is believed the victim had damaged his brother’s phone, causing the accumulated points in the game to be lost.
“From early questioning, it appears that the victim’s brother might have been influenced by the video game. He seemed to experience hallucinations at night, as if being told to harm his family members. “It is believed that the older brother took a knife from the house and injured his younger brother, but we are still conducting further investigations,” he said.
Thankfully, the victim is in stable condition
Ab Rahaman explained that the victim is currently receiving treatment at Batu Pahat Hospital and is in stable condition. “The investigation is still in its early stages, and we have not yet recorded a statement from the victim as he has not fully recovered.
“Both the victim and his brother are now under the supervision of the Social Welfare Department (JKM) as they are minors. The investigation papers have been referred to the Johor State Legal Adviser for further action,” he added.
Earlier, the husband and wife, who are the parents of the injured boy, were remanded for two days at the Batu Pahat Magistrate’s Court today to assist in the investigation into the incident.
The remand order for the 41-year-old couple was issued by Magistrate Nurasidah A Rahman, starting today until tomorrow, to allow police to continue their investigation under Section 326 of the Penal Code and Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.
A meeting to ensure a safer digital ecosystem
Yesterday, a meeting was held between the popular gaming platform, Roblox, the Minister of Communications, Fahmi Fadzil and his deputy, YB Teo Nie Ching. For your information, the meeting was to discuss legal compliance and the implementation of the Online Safety Act ( ONSA ) on the gaming platform.
Additionally, He stressed that his ministry is committed to ensuring that Malaysia's digital ecosystem remains safe and responsible. ROBLOX, which was officially launched in 2006, is now estimated to have 65 million daily active users. It is very popular among almost every age group, from children to adults.
So, when the Online Safety Act 2025 is implemented on the platform, it will be able to enhance and promote online safety in Malaysia by regulating harmful content compared to existing laws, especially against children.
Currently, the Online Safety Act 2025 [Act 866] has not yet been enforced. But when it is implemented, it is hoped that it will be better at protecting Malaysians from cyber threats, covering various cyber crimes such as fraud, cyberbullying, child sexual exploitation and online gambling.
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