Malaysia’s push for more internet laws raises censorship concerns and crackdown on dissent

He was summoned last Sunday, arrested and remanded in custody for two days during investigations into a post made on July 22, alleged to have violated the Official Secrets Act and internet laws. This was the second incident this year for Chegubard, whose real name is Badrul Hisham Shaharin.

It is mandating licensing of social media platforms and will soon press for a “kill switch” ostensibly to close down the spread of harmful online content aimed at minors. However, this has raised concerns about potential broader internet control and suppression of dissenting opinions, such as Chegubard’s.

Critics say Chegubard’s regular tango with the authorities is just one example of an increasingly authoritarian trajectory under Anwar, who built his entire Reformasi or Reform movement on a foundation of dissent.

As the government seeks greater control over social media, there are fears among free speech advocates of a slide towards state censorship similar to that in China. Those anxieties deepened when Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi compared the new measures to those imposed by Beijing on its internet.

On Thursday, the government said social media and internet messaging firms with 8 million or more registered users would be required to have an operating licence by January 1, reinstating licensing requirements that were suspended more than 20 years ago.

Failure to comply could lead to penalties under existing laws, with a maximum 500,000 ringgit (US$105,500) fine and up to five years’ imprisonment. Platform operators also face a 1,000 ringgit daily fine for each day they remain unlicensed.

In addition, a separate law also in the works will mandate social media and internet messaging service providers to install a “kill switch”