SHAH ALAM: Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has defended the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission's (MCMC) order for all Internet service providers (ISP) to implement public DNS (Domain Name System) redirection for businesses, enterprises, and governments by Sept 30.
Fahmi said MCMC had found that some ISPs still allow the public to access detrimental websites, including pornographic and online gambling websites.
"The issue arose when the MCMC imposed restrictions on several websites.
"The rationale behind this (DNS redirection) is to prevent access to harmful sites, particularly pornography and many online gambling sites.
"We do not intend to restrict freedom of speech," he said.
Fahmi, however, said website operators blocked without proper reason from the DNS direction could lodge a complaint or appeal to a tribunal.
He said the appeals tribunal, while part of MCMC, is an independent body and does not take instructions from the minister or commission.
"A High Court Judge chairs the tribunal, so they (complainants) can submit appeals, and that body will decide whether to lift the block or not," he told reporters at a press conference after launching Astro Radio's KITAfm, here.
Telecommunications provider Maxis Bhd titled 'Maxis Business DNS Redirection' said the measure will affect entities using public DNS services, such as Google's DNS (8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4) and Cloudflare's DNS (1.1.1.1 or 1.0.0.1).DNS is a system that turns easy-to-remember website names into the numeric IP addresses that computers use to locate websites on the Internet.
A public DNS can be used to bypass government blocks on certain websites.
However, with DNS redirection, requests to access these websites are rerouted to the DNS servers of a local service provider, effectively blocking access to the intended sites.
In the frequently asked questions titled 'Maxis Business DNS Redirection', the telco stated that this will affect entities using public DNS services, such as Google's DNS (8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4) and Cloudflare's DNS (1.1.1.1 or 1.0.0.1).
A public DNS can be used to bypass government blocks on certain websites.
However, with DNS redirection, requests to access these websites are rerouted to the DNS servers of a local service provider, effectively blocking access to the intended sites.
Maxis said DNS redirection is imposed to block harmful websites and uphold Malaysian laws.
It also said that the measure is important for businesses and government entities, as it helps protect their reputation and avoid accidental legal breaches.
However, it said this will not impact entities using private DNS or encrypted traffic, including encrypted DNS and other data traffic.Businesses using self-hosted private DNS servers or with DNS over HTTPS (DoH) enabled in the browser settings will also not be affected by the DNS redirect.
Private DNS servers refer to a business- or company-managed DNS service, allowing its administrators to control and configure settings directly, while DoH encrypts DNS queries sent by devices, enhancing privacy and security.
On Aug 8, MCMC said it would take measures to ensure restrictions to harmful or prohibited websites remain in place by collaborating with service providers on several preventive measures, including managing DNS.
The regulatory body said from Jan 1, 2022, to Aug 1, 2024, a total of 10,423 websites were blocked due to law violations.
From the total number of blocked websites, 95.7 per cent are in the following five categories: online gambling (4,484), online pornography (3,271), online copyright infringement (1,654), scams in the form of online investment (316), and online sex prostitution (249).