PETALING JAYA: Lee Chean Chung has expressed his support for the country to impose social media licensing on its providers in light of recent joint operations by the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in six states, recently.
The operations resulted in 13 arrests of individuals aged 20 to 74 for possessing and distributing illegal content.
Authorities also seized over 40,000 pieces of explicit material from computers, phones, and hard drives, with some suspects admitting to purchasing content through X and Telegram.
In a statement, today, Lee also pointed to a New Straits Times report revealing widespread online sales of imitation gel-blaster guns, which were linked to nearly 150 crimes last year.
These weapons, prohibited under the Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971, are being sold on platforms including TikTok live sessions for between RM150 and RM2,000.
“While we have deep respect for the freedom of the media, we cannot allow such operations to thrive unchecked on social media platforms,“ said Lee, who also serves as PKR Communications Director.
Starting January 1, 2025, the “Regulatory Framework for Internet Messaging Service and Social Media Service Providers” will require social media platforms with over eight million Malaysian users to obtain an Applications Service Provider Class License under the Communications and Multimedia Act.
“Licensing the platforms would make it easier for such platforms to be regulated in such a way as to provide a more secure environment for Malaysians,“ Lee added.
