KUALA LUMPUR: Grab Malaysia has moved to distance itself from an industry group which sent a letter of protest to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the proposed social media licensing regulations.
The ride-hailing and food delivery company said it was not informed nor consulted by Asia Internet Coalition (AIC) over the open letter to Anwar in which the group had said it was against the proposed regulatory framework covering social media and instant messaging platforms.
This was after Grab was named as being a part of the coalition.
"The proposed regulation does not impact our operations and therefore we had no part in it. We did not and are not commenting on the matter.
"We remain committed to collaborating with the government, reflecting our mission to contribute to the nation's development," Grab Malaysia said in a statement.
The regulatory framework for social media and internet messaging platforms was gazetted on Aug 1 and will come into effect on Jan 1 next year.
Under the new framework, all such platforms with at least eight million users in Malaysia must apply for an Applications Service Provider Class Licence under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission had said the regulatory framework was introduced to combat the increasing cases of cybercrime, including online fraud and gambling, cyberbullying, and sexual crimes against children.
AIC, an Asian industry group that includes Google, Meta, Amazon, Apple Inc. and X, was reported yesterday as having called on the government to pause the plan, citing a lack of clarity over the proposed regulations.
In an open letter dated Friday, the coalition said the licensing regime was "unworkable" for the industry and could stifle innovation by placing undue burdens on businesses.