PUTRAJAYA: The Communications Ministry is expected to receive licence applications from social media platform operators around October or November this year.
Its minister Fahmi Fadzil said the application process for social media platform providers to operate in the country "would not be difficult".
"The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has informed (us) that the licensing application process is expected to take between three and five working days.
"We assure social media platform providers that since this is a 'Class Licence,' the process is not as difficult compared to an 'Individual Licence.'
"For an 'Individual Licence,' it might take several months to process, but for a 'Class Licence,' MCMC has informed us that it will take about three to five working days," he said during a press conference today.
On Aug 1, Fahmi said the new regulatory framework for social media site and online messaging platform licensing only applies to platform operators, not to users and influencers.
This comes after the MCMC on July 27 announced that social media and online messaging platforms with at least eight million users in Malaysia must apply for a licence from Aug 1.
The MCMC said the requirement is part of a new regulatory framework aimed at ensuring a safer online ecosystem.
The licence requirement will be enforced starting Jan 1 next year.