PUTRAJAYA, Aug 25 — The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has been given until the end of this year to develop 10 key subsidiary instruments needed to ensure the effective enforcement of the Online Safety Act (ONSA) 2024, which came into effect last month.
Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil stressed the urgency of finalising these instruments, which cover procedures, administrative frameworks, and mechanisms for classifying online harm.
“I’ve requested that the instruments be completed by year-end, if not sooner. ONSA has been in force since July, but for it to work properly, these 10 instruments must be in place. That’s our focus now.
“What we want most is a safer online environment and reduced harm,” he told reporters after attending the Communications Ministry monthly assembly today.
Also present were the ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa and Bernama editor-in-chief Arul Rajoo Durar Raj.
Fahmi noted that online crimes remain rampant, including the misuse of deepfake technology, which creates highly convincing fake audio-visual content.
“For instance, the image of (renowned economist) Prof Jomo Kwame Sundaram was misused on Facebook, even though he had no connection to the account involved,” he said, adding that with instruments such as an Online Safety Code, social media platforms would no longer be allowed to host or distribute deceptive content, including impersonations and deepfakes.
Earlier in his speech, Fahmi reprimanded the MCMC for delays in developing the subsidiary instruments and called for immediate action as the public demands accountability from social media platforms over cybercrime scams.
“I urge MCMC’s legal team to expedite this process. The Law Minister, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, has already written to me asking for the expedited implementation of the ONSA,” Fahmi said.
Previously, Deputy Minister Teo Nie Ching announced that the 10 subsidiary instruments, comprising regulations and implementation codes, were expected to be completed between September this year and June next year, depending on their complexity.
