REQUESTS to remove harmful online content in Malaysia have risen sharply, with online gambling making up the majority of takedown applications submitted to service providers, the Senate has been told.
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said the increase in requests by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission reflects several developments, including stronger proactive monitoring by the regulator, greater public awareness of complaint channels and the growing use of artificial intelligence to spread harmful material online.
“For scam-related content, including fake accounts and impersonation, the number of takedown requests accounts for 21 per cent of the total, while offensive content makes up seven per cent,” she said during a session in the Dewan Negara on Monday.
Teo was responding to a question from Senator S Vell Paari, who had asked the Communications Ministry to outline the three most significant online security threats in Malaysia, including online scams, identity theft and data breaches, as well as recent statistics and trends in reported cases.
She explained that the largest proportion of takedown requests made by the commission relates to online gambling, which accounts for 62 per cent of all applications submitted to service providers.
Year-on-year comparisons show a significant increase in such enforcement efforts.
Requests to remove gambling-related content rose to 293,057 in 2025 compared with 196,510 in 2024. Applications involving scam content, including fake accounts and impersonation, climbed to 102,113 last year from 66,507 the year before.
Meanwhile, requests involving offensive or hateful content more than doubled, reaching 42,027 in 2025 compared with 19,344 in 2024.
Teo said that between 2022 and 1 March this year, authorities recorded 576,269 takedown requests related to online gambling, 197,120 involving scams such as fake accounts and impersonation, and 69,541 linked to offensive content.
She explained that final decisions on removing harmful material from online platforms are taken by service providers based on complaints received, platform community guidelines and applicable local laws.
While online scams, identity theft and data breaches fall primarily under the jurisdiction of enforcement agencies such as the Royal Malaysia Police, the National Cyber Security Agency and the Personal Data Protection Department, Teo said the communications regulator also plays a supporting role.
She noted that the commission assists other agencies by providing technical support, including information sharing and digital forensic analysis to aid investigations.
Teo added that the regulator also conducts proactive monitoring and enforcement against those responsible for spreading harmful online material such as scams and identity theft, in line with the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and the Online Safety Act 2025. - March 9, 2026
