KUALA LUMPUR: Telegram has become the latest messaging service to obtain a licence under the Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Act.
"As of today, four out of the six platforms we aim to register are ByteDance, which operates TikTok; Tencent, which operates WeChat; Meta, which operates Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram; and Telegram. All four are on track," said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil during the Kampung Digital agreement between the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the Melaka State Government document exchange ceremony today.
Telegram received its licence from MCMC on Jan 2.
Fahmi said that MCMC would continue to monitor these platforms for any legal violations.
"Discussions are ongoing, for instance, regarding YouTube, which considers itself not a social media platform. However, YouTube Shorts shares similarities with TikTok, and this is under discussion," he said.
He also stressed the need to tackle unlawful content, including scams, deepfakes, and online gambling videos.
He said that many such videos, following amendments to Act 588 (the Communications and Multimedia Act), had been deemed unlawful and were actively being reported for removal from platforms like Facebook and YouTube.
Once the Online Safety Act is gazetted, Fahmi said, platforms would be expected to handle these issues independently, without reliance on MCMC.
"If a category is prohibited, and we clarify what is unlawful, the platforms must act autonomously," he said.
He reiterated the government's commitment to online safety despite ongoing discussions.
"Violations of the law within our country cannot be tolerated," he added.
On Dec 9, the Dewan Rakyat approved amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588), aimed at ensuring a safer and more sustainable internet ecosystem.
On Dec 20, the government has identified eight social media and online messaging platforms that will be required to obtain a licence under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 by this year.
Fahmi, in an exclusive interview with the New Straits Times, said the platforms included Meta's WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram, Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter), Google's YouTube, Pavel Durov's Telegram, Tencent's WeChat and ByteDance's TikTok.