General : Communications Ministry Ready To Work With Other Ministries To Curb Online Sale Of Prohibited Goods

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has announced that the government is set to collaborate with various agencies, including the Home Ministry, Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry, police, and relevant entities, to enhance e-commerce regulations and prevent the sale of prohibited goods. Fahmi emphasized the importance of this cooperation due to existing gaps in the country's e-commerce ecosystem, which currently lacks licensing requirements for platforms.

Speaking at the Huawei WAIC Connect Malaysia 2026 Symposium, Fahmi mentioned that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had already had a meeting with a major platform the previous day. However, he had not yet received any updates on the outcome of this meeting as of today. The minister expressed concern over certain platforms seemingly allowing the sale of prohibited products, such as drugs like fentanyl, but noted that most e-commerce platforms in Malaysia have policies prohibiting the sale of such items.

Fahmi stressed that addressing the issue of fake accounts and the sale of prohibited products was more crucial than merely removing search keywords, which could inadvertently make these products harder to find without tackling the root problem. He further added that platforms needed to take proactive measures to prevent the creation of fake accounts specifically for the purpose of selling drugs.

PM Anwar Ibrahim had previously raised concerns over this issue, which is becoming increasingly alarming.