Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching told the Dewan Rakyat on 7 August 2025 that more than 500,000 online content items were taken down by service providers between 1 January 2022 and 1 August 2025 for breaking the law1. She was answering a question from Datuk Dr Richard Rapu @ Aman Begri (GPS-Betong) on how the ministry monitors harmful online content, including online gambling, cyber fraud, cyberbullying and the spread of fake news1.
The takedowns were made at the request of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) because the content breached the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588), other laws, and platform community guidelines1. Teo gave this breakdown of the 500,000-plus items1:
| Category | Items removed |
|---|---|
| Fraud content | 119,273 |
| Offensive content | 43,585 |
| Bullying or sexual harassment cases | 35,420 |
| Fake content | 38,818 |
Gambling-related cases made up the largest share of the total. Teo said MCMC works with other enforcement agencies, including the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) and Bank Negara Malaysia, and provides technical help such as information and digital forensic analysis to support investigations1.
"Kementerian Komunikasi melalui MCMC komited memastikan persekitaran dalam talian yang selamat untuk semua lapisan masyarakat."
She also said that many fraudulent posts are only taken down after MCMC files a report and sends a formal request to the platform, and that the absence of strict rules for advertisers has meant no reduction in scam content, which is rising every year1.
On other measures, Teo said licensing requirements for internet messaging and social media service providers that meet the criteria took effect from 1 January 2025, requiring them to apply for and obtain an Applications Service Provider Class Licence (ASP(C)) under Act 5881. MCMC published a Code of Conduct (Best Practices) for internet messaging and social media service providers setting out their responsibilities to protect children and teenagers from harmful content1.
What it means for players
The figures cover content removed at platform level, not prosecutions of players, and the report does not say how many of the 321,012 gambling-related items were sites, apps, posts or advertisements, or which platforms they appeared on1. For anyone gambling in Malaysia, the practical picture is that gambling material is the single largest category of content the authorities ask platforms to remove, so access to unlicensed online gambling sites and their promotions can disappear without notice. The report does not state whether any player accounts, payments or personal data were affected by these takedowns, and no arrests or charges tied to the 321,012 figure were reported1. Players who lose access to a site, or who are owed money by one, have no route described in this report for recovering funds; the general position on scams in Malaysia and on sites that will not pay out is set out in the guides. Whether a given site is lawful to use in Malaysia is covered in Can I Gamble in Malaysia?.
What happens next
Teo said scam content is increasing each year and that takedowns of fraudulent posts currently depend on MCMC filing reports and formal requests with platforms1. No target for future removals and no timetable for new enforcement steps were reported1.
