KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 22): Malaysia plans to limit prepaid SIM cards registration to two per telecommunications company (telco) for Malaysians and two in total for foreigners to tackle online fraud and misuse, says Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching.
Currently, under the 2017 Prepaid User Registration Guidelines, individuals are allowed to register up to five prepaid SIM cards per telco.
“The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has launched a public inquiry to review the current guidelines, which will run until end-November. We hope the new framework can be implemented by the first quarter of next year,” Teo told the Dewan Rakyat during an oral question-and-answer session on Wednesday.
Teo said the move aims to address growing concerns over scams and the misuse of digital platforms, including cases involving fake artificial intelligence (AI)-generated content and anonymous social media accounts.
She cited recent complaints about the use of AI to create false images — including of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong — and said investigations were hampered as authorities were unable to identify the actual account holders.
“When the MCMC investigated the case, it found that the culprit had used a foreigner’s information to register the social media account. The Attorney General’s Chambers could only close the case with no further action due to difficulties in tracing the suspects,” she said.
Meanwhile, Teo said that from Jan 1, 2022 to Oct 15, 2025, the MCMC had submitted 3,074 takedown requests to social media platforms for deepfake content, with 2,354 (or 77%) successfully removed. For false content, 55,218 removal requests were made, of which 46,966 (or 85%) were taken down.
She added that the MCMC is developing new rules under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, which will require service providers to submit online safety plans outlining their compliance with the Act.
The MCMC is also studying the feasibility of implementing user age and identity verification methods to reduce exposure to harmful content — particularly for children — and to curb online fraud involving business entities, while ensuring data security, Teo said.
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