Malaysia's Cabinet has directed its Communication and Finance Ministries to examine new e-commerce platform regulations, including possible registration requirements. The review follows complaints received by Prime Minister (PM) Anwar Ibrahim from consumers, traders, and platform operators. Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil highlighted that platforms operate in Malaysia without a locally registered entity. He also noted that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has received 1,964 complaints since January 2025, with cases including electrical products and halal certification.
While the government has not outlined a timeline for implementation, Fahmi said officials are studying regulatory approaches that could include platform registration and coordination with existing tax-registration processes. He cited MCMC's social media licensing framework as a possible reference point for regulating digital platforms. However, it is worth noting that the government does not intend to shut down any platforms, but wants products sold online to comply with existing regulatory and certification requirements.
