Purported announcement of Malaysian student smartphone prohibition is fabricated

Published on November 4, 2025 at 09:23
2 min read
By Najmi Mamat, AFP Malaysia

Malaysia's prime minister floated the idea of banning students under 16 from using smartphones following a spate of violent incidents at schools, but a purported statement from his office circulating on social media announcing a ban would come into effect on January 1, 2026 is a fabrication. There have been no official reports about the implementation of the proposed prohibition, and the prime minister's office called the document -- which differs from genuine statements -- false.

The purported Malay-language statement, titled "Order prohibiting smartphone use for individuals under the age of 16", was shared on Facebook on October 29, 2025.

The circulating document features the Malaysian coat of arms and appears to have been issued by the Prime Minister's Department of Malaysia (JPM).

The Facebook post repeats parts of the purported order, claiming the ban would take effect on January 1, 2026 and a fine of up to 5,000 ringgit (US$1,190) would be imposed for a second offence following an initial written warning.

Screenshot of the false post captured on November 3, 2025, with a red X added by AFP

The same document was also shared in similar Instagram and TikTok posts.

It circulated after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on October 17 that the Cabinet had discussed measures to enhance school safety following a series of violent incidents -- including allegations of bullying, murder and rape -- in local schools (archived here, here, here and here).

Among the measures he raised was a possible ban on smartphones for students under 16.

Malaysian newspaper the New Straits Times quoted the leader saying: "We have found that the influence of social media and online games can sometimes lead to criminal behaviour. As such, we are considering prohibiting the use of smartphones for students aged 16 and below."

Anwar said the proposal was still "being studied", and provided no further details on the scope of the proposed ban (archived link).

As of November 4, there have been no official announcements that such a ban would be implemented on January 1, 2026.

A keyword search on Google found the Prime Minister's Department called the circulating announcement "false" in a statement on its official Facebook page on October 27 (archived link).

"For your information, this department has never issued any statement regarding this matter," reads the Malay-language post.

Screenshot of Prime Minister Department's statement on Facebook

An analysis of the statement circulating on social media also show its typography and design differ from genuine statements issued by the JPM (archived link).

The font and alignment of the text in the letterhead of the falsely shared document is different, it contains typos and is missing a logo for Anwar's "Malaysia Madani" policy framework.

Screenshot comparison between the fabricated statement (left) and a genuine JPM document (right)

AFP has previously debunked other misinformation that spread following the series of violent incidents in Malaysian schools.

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