The government is planning to introduce new limits for prepaid SIM card registrations. For Malaysians, registrations will be capped at two per telco. Meanwhile, foreigners will only be able to register for two prepaid SIM cards in total. Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching explained that this change is meant to combat online fraud and prevent the misuse of SIM cards.
At the moment, the 2017 Prepaid User Registration Guidelines allows individuals to register up to five SIM cards per telco. The existing guidelines are set to be replaced by a new regulatory framework. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has since launched a public inquiry on the proposed standards.
According to Teo, the inquiry will run until the end of November. The new framework is expected to be implemented by the first quarter of next year. Teo went on to highlight the growing concerns surrounding scams and the misuse of digital platforms, which this move is meant to address.
She noted that recent cases involve the use of AI to generate fake images, such as of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. In these instances, the authorities were unable to identify the actual users of the anonymous social media accounts. Teo mentioned a case where MCMC discovered that the culprit registered for the account using a foreigner’s information. As the suspects could not be traced, the Attorney General’s Chambers could only close the case with no further action.
Aside from imposing limits on the number of prepaid SIM cards, MCMC is introducing another security measure. By the end of this year, all prepaid SIM card registrations will require verification through MyDigital ID.
(Source: The Edge)
