Malaysia Forms Online Safety Committee

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 2 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has established the Online Safety Committee as the highest strategic advisory body to steer the direction of the nation’s online safety, in line with the enforcement of the Online Safety Act 2025 [Act 866], which came into force Jan 1. 

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said said the establishment of the committee is in accordance with the provisions under Section 5 of the Online Safety Act.

“The Online Safety Committee will function as the highest strategic advisory body guiding the direction of online safety, including monitoring and providing recommendations on online content safety,” she said in a statement here Friday. 

Azalina said the committee will not merely play an administrative role, but will carry out substantive functions, including advising the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission on the classification of harmful and priority content such as child sexual exploitation and financial fraud.

She said the committee will also be responsible for determining risk analysis methods and mitigation strategies to protect users from online harm, assessing the effectiveness of complaint mechanisms, and monitoring enforcement against content that breaches the law.

In addition, Azalina said the committee will conduct technical research and expert analysis on emerging cybercrime trends, including the misuse of artificial intelligence technology and the use of deepfakes.

She said nine committee members have been appointed for a three-year term effective yesterday (Jan 1) until Dec 31, 2028, drawn from diverse backgrounds of expertise spanning the public sector, private sector and civil society.

Azalina also stressed that the MADANI Government remains committed to ensuring freedom of expression continues to be respected, but will not compromise on public safety, particularly in protecting vulnerable groups from online harm.

-- BERNAMA