Association Urges Gov't to Ban 'Blue Whale Challenge'

GEORGE TOWN (Penang), Sept 8 (Bernama) – The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has urged the government to ban an online game called the ‘Blue Whale Challenge’ which is deemed to have encouraged teenagers to perform dangerous activities. CAP chairman S.M. Mohamed Idris said although the game had not entered Malaysia yet, the government, through the Communications and Multimedia Ministry, should take the necessary action by imposing a ban. “The association views the matter seriously as it (the game) has the tendency to invite the players to perform dangerous stunts including jumping off a building,” he told a press conference here Thurday. Mohamed Idris said the game would begin when its ‘curator’ delivering private messages to the players on social media to invite them to play with one condition, namely they could not stop once agreeing to initiate the challenge. “The curator then assigns the players a series of dangerous tasks to be done within 50 days including inflicting own injury, waking up as early as 4.20am daily, watching videos filled with blood (scenes) sent by the curator, listening to sappy songs, visiting the cemetery alone and standing on a high-rise building. “Every task received by the players should be recorded in a video or be photographed as proof and verification to the game's administrator that the assignment was done including suicide attempt,” he said. -- BERNAMA