KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has been asked to not proceed with the plan requiring all internet service providers (ISPs) to use public domain name service (DNS) redirection.
Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, in a posting on X, confirmed that he has requested the MCMC to discontinue the implementation which was supposed to apply to businesses, enterprises, and governments by the end of this month.
The decision, said Fahmi, was made after taking into consideration public views through engagement sessions conducted by the MCMC.
"After taking into account feedback received from the public through a series of engagement sessions, I have asked the MCMC not to proceed with the implementation of the DNS redirection method," he said.
Fahmi nevertheless stressed that the government will not compromise on matters involving online safety, especially when it concerns children.
"The issue of online crimes, including access to websites related to gambling, prostitution, and pornography, is very concerning and requires comprehensive solutions.
"As such, the government will not compromise on this matter, in order to ensure online safety for Malaysians, particularly children and families."
Fahmi added that MCMC will continue engagement sessions with all stakeholders to gather opinions, suggestions, and recommendations to ensure that the objective of a safer internet can be achieved together.
The MCMC last month said the commission 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 this year, 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).