PUTRAJAYA, Aug 5 — Social media platform operators have been given time to align their internal mechanisms to ensure that the removal of high-risk content involving scams and online gambling is carried out automatically.

Communications Minister Datuk Seri Fahmi Fadzil said platform operators have expressed their readiness to comply with the requirements of the Child Protection Code (CPC) and the Risk Mitigation Code (RMC) under the Online Safety Act 2025 (ONSA).

“Through ONSA, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has introduced what is known as the CPC and the RMC. These two codes will be used to ensure that platforms comply with regulations related to online safety, including content involving scams and online gambling.

“We are giving the platforms some time. They have indicated their willingness to comply, but they require some time to align their internal mechanisms to automate the removal of content that has been identified,” he told his weekly press conference here today.

Fahmi, who is also the Madani government spokesman, said the requirement for the automatic removal of harmful content is important as the number of takedown requests made by MCMC, particularly involving online gambling and scam-related content, has exceeded last year’s total.

“There is no denying that the number of takedown requests submitted by MCMC to platform operators, particularly concerning online gambling and scam-related content, has exceeded the number requested last year,” he said.

He said the increase in takedown requests has also affected MCMC’s resources and manpower, as each content removal request takes approximately 30 minutes to complete.

“Each piece of content requires about 30 minutes of work by MCMC personnel. The amount of time needed to process such a large number of requests has inevitably resulted in MCMC officers spending a considerable amount of time filing all the required documentation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Fahmi said the National Centre of Excellence for Mental Health (NCEMH) under the Ministry of Health (MOH) should intensify its engagement with social media platform operators to address the spread of content related to suicidal behaviour in the country.

The Cabinet today took note of a roundtable discussion organised by the Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF), in collaboration with NCEMH, on the role of the media in preventing suicidal behaviour.

“The roundtable discussion focused on ethical reporting practices, responsible dissemination of information, and closer collaboration among various stakeholders in efforts to prevent suicidal behaviour.

“At the same time, the Cabinet also noted that NCEMH under MOH and CMCF need to conduct more comprehensive and in-depth engagement with social media platforms,” Fahmi said. — Bernama