The proposed Online Safety Act (ONSA) in Malaysia is no longer a policy discussion. It is an absolute necessity proven by the ongoing chaos within the Tamil TikTok ecosystem.
For months, the social media platform TikTok has fundamentally failed to enforce even its own basic community standards.
Victims and activists have repeatedly documented instances where reports of harassment, sexual misconduct, and incitement are routinely dismissed.
The platform’s standard “no violation” reply leaves users exposed while dangerous content spreads unchecked across the Malaysian digital space.
This regulatory vacuum already turned deadly last year. It happened with the tragic death of Rajeswary Appahu, better known as Esha, who was a popular Tamil TikTok influencer.
She endured sustained harassment and mob-style targeting, and her demise serves as a painful, documented reminder of what happens when platforms refuse to protect their users.
Her case is not an isolated incident but part of a broader, systemic pattern of platform negligence that prioritises engagement over safety.
Recent, high-profile incidents demonstrate how quickly harm escalates without oversight, revealing the critical failures of self-regulation.
These include the severe racial and national tension provoked when a Sri Lankan-linked troll burned the Malaysian flag live on TikTok.
We have also seen real-world violence, such as a recent incident at McDonald’s Serdang Raya, where a woman named Nalinee Kothandabani violently assaulted an disabled (OKU) woman while another user shockingly livestreamed the entire attack!
Furthermore, highly inappropriate and obscene content continues to slip past moderation, including users exposing themselves during live sessions, and seven-hour harassment livestreams that target individuals and normalise mob aggression.
These documented incidents show a clear and dangerous pattern, whereby, users escalate, TikTok provides minimal or zero intervention, and the harm intensifies into real-world consequences.
Indeed Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil reacted with fury just a few months ago when TikTok admitted the company had not lived up to its promises to monitor the Tamil space.
Instead the violators use loopholes like the challenges of monitoring live video streams to carry out alarming escalations.
Self-regulation has failed. Without genuine legal obligations, platforms will continue prioritising profit over user safety.
The Online Safety Act provides what is currently missing. A mandatory, enforceable framework for digital responsibility.
ONSA is not about censorship, it is about protecting Malaysians from documented, escalating harm by introducing mandatory response timelines, transparency requirements, enforceable safety standards, and real accountability for platforms that repeatedly ignore their duty of care.
The chaos within Tamil TikTok has shown us the catastrophic consequences of digital inaction. There must be no more tragedies.
The government’s priority must be to immediately enact ONSA, establishing a framework where user safety is a non-negotiable legal mandate.
By: Prof Dr K Sardagar
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Prof Dr K. Sardagar is an academic and media analyst specialising in information psychology, digital behaviour and the spread of misinformation.
As a frequent Tamil TikTok user, I am deeply alarmed by the disturbing and dangerous trends that have taken root on the platform. It’s heartbreaking to witness live sessions where individuals, including a soldier in the Malaysian Army, have displayed explicit pornographic content during live streams. This blatant disregard for the law and decency, coupled with real-life threats and intimidation, is deeply concerning. I’ve also witnessed individuals brandishing weapons and flaunting wealth, perpetuating scams that endanger innocent users. Despite my repeated reports, the platform’s dismissive responses leave us feeling helpless. As an active seller, and as a member of this community, I urgently call for accountability and protection. We must stand together to ensure safety and dignity for all users.
It’s a crisis! It’s a circus! But you are right – nothing being done by TikTok!
Really afraid by the troubling behavior I’ve observed. It’s not just the men; in fact, some women on the platform have become even more aggressive, spewing hate and verbal attacks on a daily basis. For example, there are two users from Germany, a man (Ganes Paran) and a woman (Rita George) who relentlessly attack others with verbal aggression and hate speech, creating a hostile environment. Moreover, I’ve seen shocking instances like a soldier (Rosababy Enterprise) in the Malaysian Army broadcasting explicit content during a live session. This blatant disregard for decency and law is unacceptable. Despite numerous reports, the platform’s lack of action is frustrating and disheartening. We need urgent intervention and accountability to ensure that TikTok remains a safe space for everyone.
I saw the sex footage Rosa showed on SM Blazer’s live!!!! Rita George also was on that live and the ladies were giggling when Rosa showed the video. From what I heard, the video is a private sex tape recorded by Santhos and it was shared to Rita George and she because of anger towards Santhos for not accepting her love decided to spread it. SM Blazer who has many TikTok accounts like SM Mogana, Naan Pottai helped spread it also. Together both women have been targeting Santhos, his friend Darma from UK, Suren, Blade and Naan Manithan.
It’s terrifying to see how these online actions are spilling over into real life, with people attacking others using hateful language and setting a terrible example. As a parent, it worries me deeply because one day my child will grow up in this environment. We need urgent action to protect users and ensure a safe and positive community. Please, let’s address this before it gets worse.
Timely article. The authorities must do something before someone gets killed. Beating up a disabled person over a TikTok disagreement is unacceptable.
So true!
What is the MCMC doing? Please do something. Don’t be toothless.
Can we please do something about Tamil TikTok? It’s getting really tiring to see all the trouble happening there. There have been many times when children are put on live sessions asking for donations, and it’s really concerning. Also, there’s this NGO guy, Joseph Prakash Sukumaran, and his wife, Sumi, who have been causing a lot of issues on TikTok, even accusing the government of covering up important events and trying to smear officials. This all needs attention. TikTok isn’t doing anything about it. If anyone from MCMC or the Ministry of Communication sees this, please step in. It’s giving a bad image to the Indian community in Malaysia.
We really need to address what’s happening on Tamil TikTok. There’s a group of women, including S.M. Blazer, Rita George, Shameni Muniyandi, her sister Kannagi, and Linda, a housewife with two daughters from Johor Bahru. They are consistently aggressive, targeting transgender individuals like Meera Aswath, as well as female sellers and certain men. They use very offensive language, and many are housewives with too much free time. For example, S.M. Blazer’s 17-year-old daughter attempted suicide during a live session in August this year, and her 12-year-old son often chimes in from the background. This is terribly damaging for them. We also see her husband joining in with warnings. They insist that everyone speak Tamil, and it seems like Tamil TikTok has no proper moderation. We need to take action to stop this.
There are a few groups of anonymous trolls on Tamil TikTok. One is led by Amalay Ganjak, and another group is led by the Sri Lankan troll, Rendumani. There are several other troll groups too. They terrorize Tamil TikTok by doxxing people almost every day, posting pictures of children and wives of those they target, and using really bad language. The Sri Lankan group even desecrated our flag back in May. Also, S.M. Blazer, whose real name is Moganambal, is very good friends with the Sri Lankan troll group.
When MCMC, PDRM and government going to act? Are they waiting for someone to die????
SM Blazer’s teenage daughter attempted suicide in August on a live TikTok. I think this happened on 12 or 13 of August. PDRM check record in Hospital Klang. This is very serious.
Omg!!! Finally someone is highlighting the atrocities on Tamil tiktok. The comments are too true. Do action soon to stop cyberbullies. So many on tiktok now and every day for more new cyberbullies coming out. Help our people,
TikTok Tamil is full of bad people and trollers. I send report also no use.
The Indian community in Malaysia already has a very bad reputation and its further damaged by the uneducated who suddenly have a platform of voice on TikTok. Most of them are uneducated with bad manners. They say bad words without thinking of the impact the words have on the receiver. We cannot blame the police or other authorities for profiling us. Every week we are hearing news of Indians being killed or they kill. When will this be stopped? Having said this, what action will MCMC take to stop Malaysian cyberbullies who reside abroad? Like Ganes Paran and Rita George are serial cyberbullies and they are proud of this fact!
What is the MCMC doing? Please do something. Don’t be toothless.
MCMC please do something before it gets worst
Thank you for speaking up, prof. This post is circulating everywhere in our academic circles and we are honestly relieved someone finally said it. We are a group of psychology students who picked Tamil TikTok as a joke topic for a class project, but it turned into something much bigger and much darker than we expected. We might be young, but we are not clueless. What we saw on TikTok is genuinely alarming.
The image of Malaysian Indians is being shattered in real time. Every day it is one chaotic livestream after another where people with zero expertise speak like they are authorities. They shut down any attempt at meaningful conversation and cling to ignorance with pride. And among all the problematic figures, Nalini Kothandabani stands out as the most vicious.
She did not get there alone. She was pushed and encouraged by Logen_93, a man with multiple criminal reports against him, who practically handed her a platform and treated her like some kind of rising star. He is the one who created the ambush trend on TikTok. Nalini took that culture and turned it into something even more disturbing when she confronted and physically attacked a mentally ill woman. That one incident told us everything we needed to know about her behaviour.
When we looked deeper, the pattern became very clear. She has been trying to be famous for years. Her old Facebook and YouTube posts show the same attention seeking behaviour, including the time she tried to involve the prime ministers of Malaysia and Singapore because she personally chose to send her children across the border daily for school. People corrected her and pointed out that her situation was a matter of lifestyle choice, yet she still framed it as a national issue.
On TikTok she targets good looking women, especially sellers, and degrades them for entertainment. One of her first victims was Panimalar and she used a man named Signature to attack the food Panimalar sold. Then she moved on to policing Hindu practices and attempting to dictate how one of the most open religions in the world should be followed. She attacked young Hindu women for eating beef. She attacked veteran journalist Wani Muthiah by calling her a scammer even though Madam Wani’s work in animal rights is widely recognised.
Now Nalini, encouraged by a criminal loafer like Logen, has moved into physically attacking people with Tamil TikTokkers cheering loudly in the background.
We are Gen Z and we grew up online. We understand digital culture better than the people destroying it. This is not harmless drama. This is a community harm issue. This is a psychological hazard. This is a cultural crisis that is unfolding live every day with no moderation and no accountability.
Someone needs to step in and it needs to happen now.
Totally agree with Mindlab Students. The way some of these idiots behave on TikTok is ruining the reputation of Tamil people for no reason. It is embarrassing and honestly so unnecessary. We deserve better representation than this chaos.
I have to say this. There is a group of well-meaning guys who think they are doing good, but in reality, they are just bumbling idiots. Naan Manithan, Blade, Tamil Fighter, and Suren really believe they can act as mediators on Tamil TikTok, but every time someone gaslights them, they fall apart. It is honestly comedic but also tragic at the same time.
There is a new cyberbully case emerging. I watched the live session on Tamil TikTok and what unfolded was ugly and deliberate. I saw an older man repeat an allegation about a supposed sexual act from two years ago, with no proof, no balance and no attempt at truth. Instead of shutting it down, others stepped in to fuel it.
I witnessed SM Blazer, fresh back from a China holiday, Rita George from Germany, Sumi who is Joseph NGO’s wife, and JohnKala starting a new live session and piling on. It became a group effort to shame and discredit a tuition teacher in real time. This was not concern or accountability. It was a coordinated smear, played out live, with comments cheering it on. As an eyewitness, I am calling this what it is. Cyberbullying, character assassination, and a public spectacle designed to harm. I reported to TikTok but received no violation response. MCMC, do something! We don’t want another Esha!
We saw it too, and it was horrifying. A tuition teacher, a working woman, pushed into a public meltdown by relentless cyber attacks. What we witnessed was not drama but real distress, caused by people who hide behind screens and mobs.
It is very clear why she may be afraid to lodge a police report. When SM Blazer and Rita George appear so determined to defend and protect Tarik Loga, the message sent to the victim is intimidation, not justice. This is how silence is forced. Bullying does not become acceptable just because it is done loudly or by a group. What happened to her was cruel, and those enabling it should be ashamed.
Some one needs to do something on the rendu mani team a sri lankan ltte terrorist gang up with sm mogana and rita george burn our most pride malaysia flag