KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has addressed recent concerns regarding its ongoing efforts to regulate internet traffic through Domain Name Service (DNS) management.
The body said that these measures are aimed at protecting users from harmful content.
DNS is a system that converts website addresses into numeric IP addresses, enabling users to locate websites.
While some users opt for third-party DNS services like Google DNS or Cloudflare for faster speeds and other advantages, MCMC said that these servers lack the same level of protection against harmful content compared to local internet service providers DNS servers.
Recent complaints, including one from the Galen Centre, highlighted issues accessing websites due to the DNS redirection.
MCMC in a statement, however, denied imposing a blanket ban, clarifying that only sites with malicious or unlawful content are blocked, while legitimate websites remain accessible.
"We reiterate that Malaysia's implementation is for the protection of vulnerable groups from harmful online content," it said.
Between 2018 and August 2024, MCMC blocked 24,277 websites, most of which were related to online gambling (39 per cent), pornography or obscene content (31 per cent), and copyright infringement (14 per cent).
Other harmful sites included those promoting unregistered products, illegal money lending, personal data sales (12 per cent), prostitution (2 per cent), and scams or unlawful investments (2 per cent).
MCMC advised users experiencing trouble accessing legitimate sites to reach out to their service providers or MCMC directly for support.
It also stated that any websites that believe have been unfairly targeted or affected may file an appeal through the Appeals Tribunal.