KUALA LUMPUR – Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil, today on X, said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has been told not to proceed with the implementation of the domain name system (DNS) management routing method.
This is done in line with input obtained from engagement sessions with stakeholders and feedback from members of the public.
However, MCMC will continue engaging with stakeholders to gather input on achieving a safer internet. He also said that the government will not compromise in protecting Malaysian internet users, especially children, from online crimes.
In his post on X, Fahmi said that online crimes, including access to gambling websites, prostitution services and pornography remain of great concern to his ministry and require a comprehensive solution.
The DNS redirection issue has courted much controversy in recent days, with netizens, government lawmakers and industry players expressing concern over how the move could potentially do more harm than good.
Previously, Fahmi had defended the MCMC directive requiring all internet service providers (ISPs) to implement public DNS redirection by the end of this month, stating that the move is aimed at blocking harmful websites related to online gambling and pornography.
He also said the directive was not intended to curtail freedom of speech.
The issue of DNS redirection came to light following a now-archived FAQ posted on Maxis Bhd’s website, which stated that the directive would affect entities using public DNS services like Google DNS or Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1.
DNS serves as a system that translates user-friendly website names into numeric IP addresses.
Public DNS services can bypass government-imposed blocks, but with DNS redirection, requests to access restricted sites are rerouted to local DNS servers, thereby effectively blocking access.
On Friday, MCMC dismissed claims that its latest directive to ISPs is draconian, saying that the move is meant to protect vulnerable users from harmful online content.
The commission then issued a statement and answers to frequently asked questions yesterday to explain that the move is aimed at protecting internet users from dangerous content. – September 8, 2024