Malaysia’s Communications Ministry has instructed the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to stop forcing local ISPs to redirect domain name service (DNS) traffic away from third-party DNS servers.
Reports emerged last month claiming that Malaysian ISPs – including Maxis, Time dotcom, U Mobile, CelcomDigi and Telekom Malaysia’s Unifi – had implemented transparent DNS proxy, which redirects DNS queries to alternative DNS servers like Google Public DNS and Cloudflare back to local DNS servers. This method effectively prevents Internet users from using alternative DNS servers to access websites blocked by the MCMC.
At the time, the MCMC responded with a statement that it was “working closely with local service providers" in relation to DNS management as a way to block access to websites that violate Malaysian law, but didn't directly confirm it was ordering them to redirect DNS queries. The MCMC also claimed that 95.7% of blocked websites were involved in illegal activities such as online gambling, pornography, copyright infringement, online scams and prostitution.
However, critics have accused the MCMC of also using DNS redirection to censor websites unrelated to such activities, such as election results site Undi.info, investigative journalism website Sarawak Report and blogger site Medium.
On Saturday, the MCMC issued another statement confirming that it requires Malaysian ISPs to redirect DNS traffic, stating that the move is necessary to “protect users by blocking access to websites known for distributing malware, phishing, and other malicious activities, as well as filter inappropriate content such as adult material and violent websites.”
The MCMC also denied accusations that DNS redirection was “draconian”, and said accusations that it was blocking legitimate websites were “inaccurate”. The statement added that "any websites that believe they have been unfairly targeted or affected may file an appeal through the established channels," meaning the MCMC’s Appeals Tribunal.
However, the bad publicity over DNS redirection and online censorship in the past month – as well as the MCMC’s controversial plan to require social media platforms to obtain a class licence to operate in Malaysia – may have taken its toll. On Sunday, Fahmi posted on X (formerly Twitter) that he has instructed the MCMC to drop the requirement that ISPs implement DNS redirection after "taking into account the feedback from MCMC’s engagement sessions and the public."
Fahmi stressed that illegal online activity related to gambling, prostitution and porn are big problems that require a comprehensive solution. “The government will not compromise on this, to ensure online safety for Malaysians, especially children and families.”
That said, Fahmi added, “The MCMC will continue a series of engagements with all stakeholders to obtain views, suggestions and recommendations to ensure that the objective of a safer internet can be achieved together.”