Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said social media platform providers must be more proactive in helping the government combat immoral and illegal activities on social media, speaking to reporters in Subang Jaya on Nov 11 after opening a media conference at Taylor's University1.
Fahmi said platforms have repeatedly been slow to act, taking down immoral content only after complaints from relevant parties. He cited a Facebook page linked to sexual crimes against children that went viral on X a few weeks earlier. Police contacted the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission for technical assistance, and he left enforcement action to the police1.
"I believe Meta (the platform provider) has removed the content, but the problem is Meta was not proactive. They only acted after the issue was raised. In fact, they should have flagged it from the beginning. This is one of the reasons why we want these platforms to be automatically licensed."
He said platforms should use existing artificial intelligence to filter harmful material, and questioned why they earn money in Malaysia without doing so, citing Facebook revenue of RM2.5 billion in 20231.
Fahmi said the introduction of the class license for platform providers under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 is a necessary step against three major crimes that have migrated online: online scams and gambling, cyberbullying, and sexual crimes against children1. The report does not state when the class license takes effect, which platforms it covers, or what penalties apply, and no further detail on the licensing mechanism has been reported1.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Announcement date | Nov 11, 2024 |
| Where | Subang Jaya, Selangor |
| Who | Fahmi Fadzil, Communications Minister |
| Cited platform revenue | Facebook, RM2.5 billion in 2023 |
| Legal instrument | Class license under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 |
| Crimes named | Online scams and gambling, cyberbullying, sexual crimes against children |
What it means for players
The minister's remarks place online gambling in the same enforcement category as scams, cyberbullying and child sexual abuse material, which signals that gambling content is being treated as a platform-level problem rather than only a matter for individual users. For anyone in Malaysia who gambles through sites or apps promoted on social media, the practical effect is that the channels used to advertise and distribute such services face closer scrutiny. Malaysia's legal position on gambling, including what is permitted and what is not, is set out in our guide to gambling in Malaysia and our overview of gambling laws across Asia. The report does not describe any new offense, penalty or enforcement power aimed at players themselves, and no change to the treatment of individual gamblers has been reported1. Readers looking at offshore operators can find background in is it illegal to use offshore gambling sites in Asia and online gambling scams in Malaysia.
What happens next
The report gives no date for when the class license takes effect or when platform providers must comply, and no timeline for further action against Meta or other platforms has been reported1.
