Malaysia's Plan To Block Overseas DNS Dies After A Day

Malaysia's telecom regulator has abandoned a plan to block overseas DNS services a day after announcing it, following a sharp backlash and accusations of government overreach.

Last Friday, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) published an FAQ [PDF] that stated it had instructed all ISPs to redirect traffic headed for offshore DNS servers to services operated by Malaysian ISPs – a move it claimed would prevent access to malicious and harmful websites such as those concerning gambling, pornography, copyright infringement or scams.

"No, the DNS redirection will not affect your connection speed or browsing experience for legitimate websites," the Commission promised in its FAQ.

But opposition to the plan quickly emerged, on grounds that it could amount to censorship and therefore represented government overreach .

Musician turned state legislator Syed Ahmad Syed Abdul Rahman Alhadad labelled the decision "draconian" and a negative for Malaysia's digital economy.

Fellow state assemblyperson Lim Yi Wei described the policy as "ill-advised," censorship, inefficient, and unsecure – as well as counterproductive to government efforts to develop tech startups, innovation and datacenters.

The MCMC responded with a statement [PDF] refuting such arguments.

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"It has been falsely claimed that the measure taken by MCMC is a draconian measure. We reiterate that Malaysia's implementation is for the protection of vulnerable groups from harmful online content," asserted MCMC in its Friday statement defending the plan.

MCMC admitted that Google DNS or Cloudflare may have benefits such as faster speeds, but do not offer the same level of protection for harmful content – "particularly in the local context" – compared to local ISP DNS servers.

The Commission promised only unlawful websites would be blocked by the local ISP DNS services, and suggested netizens who experience difficulties accessing legitimate websites could take it up with their respective ISPs to be "addressed promptly." Those feeling unfairly targeted could appeal through the Appeals Tribunal.

No definition was given for what qualified as "promptly."

MCMC did reveal that from 2018 until the start of August 2024, it had blocked over 24,000 websites. Some 39 percent of those were blocked for online gambling, 31 percent for pornography or obscene content, and 14 percent for copyright infringement. The rest of the blocked sites were related to unregistered or black market purchases, prostitution and scams, claimed MCMC.

The directive was scheduled to take effect on September 30. But by Saturday, Malaysia's communications minister Fahmi Fadzil revealed he had told MCMC not to proceed, and instead seek comment from industry stakeholders.

"LOL, I found out this was planned and was cancelled at the same time," commented one social media user.

"Next time before making a policy, do a comprehensive study first. Not public first study later. Within 24 hours the decision can be changed just like that. This is how even investors are afraid to come to Malaysia. The government can change policies overnight," wrote another. ®