PUTRAJAYA, Sept 10 — The prepaid SIM card registration in Malaysia will fully utilise MyDigital ID by the end of this year in an effort to strengthen digital security, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
He said the move will involve all telecommunications companies in the country, which would be instructed to implement the registration process using digital identity verification through MyDigital ID.
"In the meeting of the National Council of Digital Economy and the Fourth Industrial Revolution (MED4IR) yesterday, the aspect of SIM card registration was discussed, and telco companies will be instructed to ensure that the registration process for SIM cards and prepaid accounts will adopt registration using My Digital ID.
"This will be enforced, InsyaAllah (God willing), by the end of this year. The MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission) will follow up with more detailed information; there are several aspects of security that will be improved," he said during a weekly press conference today.
Fahmi added that the approach is important to close the loopholes that exist in the existing system and prevent any potential misuse by irresponsible parties.
Earlier today, a local newspaper quoted Malaysia Cyber Consumers Association (MCCA) president Siraj Jalil as saying that the government's plan to tighten age verification on social media platforms such as TikTok risks failing if Malaysia does not first address weaknesses in SIM card registration.
He noted that although there are deep concerns about online threats to children, the real problem starts with the too-easy access to obtain SIM cards.
Regarding the alleged leak of Malaysians' personal data through a website, Fahmi said he confirmed that a check with MCMC found that the website had been blocked since June 2022.
"MCMC has contacted the service provider to obtain more information about the individual behind the website," he said.
Previously, a Facebook post went viral when it claimed that Malaysians' personal data could be easily obtained, including information from the National Registration Department, the Road Transport Department, and sensitive information like banking details were also revealed.
