Online Safety Act 2024 To Be Enforced Once Guidelines Are Finalised - Fahmi

KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 (Bernama) -- The Online Safety Act 2024 will be enforced once all 10 regulatory guidelines developed by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) are finalised, said Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.

“We have yet to enforce the Act because MCMC needs to develop 10 regulations. So far, five are ready, and five more are still in progress. 

“Some of them require engagement with industry stakeholders, so we need a bit more time to finalise all these guidelines,” he told reporters after officiating the Tun Abdul Razak Broadcasting and Information Institute (IPPTAR) open day today.

Also present were Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa, IPPTAR director Roslan Ariffin, and Broadcasting Department director-general Datuk Suhaimi Sulaiman.

The Act, which was passed by Parliament in December last year, is aimed at strengthening online safety as well as addressing the spread of defamatory content, fraud and threats to public order.

Fahmi also called on the Malaysian Media Council (MMM) to play an active role in developing guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the broadcasting sector.

“I believe the council has a role to play in these discussions. By involving MMM, the industry and the government, we can examine both the benefits and risks of using AI, particularly in media.

“So we will first discuss the best approach at the ministry level, and engage as many stakeholders as possible to develop the desired guidelines,” he said.

Earlier in his speech, Fahmi urged IPPTAR to open its training programmes to the public as part of its institutional reform.

“I see a need for us to open IPPTAR’s doors as widely as possible. Not just for the open day, I believe IPPTAR itself needs to adopt a more open approach.

“That’s why I suggested, for example, that MyCreative Ventures could collaborate with IPPTAR to explore ways to realise this initiative, including creating opportunities for media companies to participate in or learn from the training sessions offered,” he said.

-- BERNAMA