In a statement late on Saturday ( Sep 7 ), the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) denied the measure was “draconian”, saying it was aimed at protecting vulnerable groups from malicious or harmful content, such as online gambling, pornography, copyright infringements, phishing or financial scams.
” DNS redirection ensures that dangerous sites are blocked while reputable sites remain available without noticeable disruption”, MCMC said, adding that it had blocked 24, 277 sites between 2018 and Aug 1, 2024 to protect people ‘ safety.
Users who are having trouble accessing websites may complain to ISPs, and those who are blocked may appeal to authorities, according to the statement.
State assemblyman Syed Ahmad Syed Abdul Rahman Alhadad, a member of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s People’s Justice Party, had called the plan “draconian”, saying it could adversely affect Malaysia’s online economy- which has been boosted this year by massive investments from big tech firms like as Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, and Google.
Lim Yi Wei, an assemblywoman from the Democratic Action Party, piece of Anwar’s ruling coalition, said the program amounted to repression and posed security threats such as DNS poisoning, where website visitors could be redirected by thieves.
The action comes as Anwar, who ran on a progressive platform before being elected in 2022, is being watched closely for online content.
A group representing major tech companies in Asia, including Meta, Google, and X, last month urged Malaysia to halt plans to license social media platforms, citing a lack of clarity over the proposed regulations.