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THE Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has submitted requests to online platform providers to remove 6,481 items of pornographic content since 1 January 2022, with 5,203 or 80 per cent of the material already taken down.
Minister of Communications Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the content removals were carried out based on complaints, the platforms’ community guidelines, and applicable Malaysian laws.
“Content removal by service providers is undertaken in accordance with complaints received, the service providers’ community guideline requirements, and applicable local laws,” he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara today.
The minister was responding to Senator Mohd Hasbie Muda, who asked about the government’s latest initiatives to curb the proliferation of pornographic websites in the country.
Fahmi added that during the same period, MCMC’s requests also led to the blocking of 4,380 pornographic websites by the platforms.
Highlighting broader measures to enhance online safety, he noted that the government has enforced the Online Safety Act (Act 866) since 1 January 2026.
The legislation mandates that application service providers and content service providers obtain licenses under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588) to regulate harmful online content.
“Since the enforcement of Act 866, MCMC has requested the removal of six pornographic contents, all of which have been taken down by the service providers,” he said.
As part of public awareness efforts, the Safe Internet Campaign has been implemented in 9,383 schools and higher education institutions, reaching 472,066 students, while 554 programmes have engaged 426,381 members of the general public nationwide since 2025 up to 1 March 2026.
Responding to a follow-up question about the government’s goal to block access to pornographic websites entirely, Fahmi said authorities are identifying the most effective mechanisms to implement such restrictions.
“The best approach in certain cases, such as when we have new laws to prosecute individuals who develop these applications or websites, is to enforce the law. For websites hosted abroad, international cooperation is required, so there are some limitations,” he explained.
He added that the government also encourages Malaysians to lead by example within families, communities, and political organisations by avoiding the normalisation of viewing such websites.
“This is part of a holistic approach to foster responsible digital behaviour and ensure safer online spaces for all,” he said. - March 3, 2026
