Almost two billion suspicious calls, 581 million SMS successfully blocked, says Fahmi Fadzil

Almost two billion suspicious calls and 581 million suspicious short messaging service (SMS) were successfully blocked from reaching Malaysian consumers with the assistance of telco service providers to tackle the issue of online scams.

The Communications and Digital Minister, Fahmi Fadzil, stated that between 2020 and April 2023, the ministry received 8,499 public complaints related to fraudulent activities. During that same period, they successfully blocked 3,370 phishing sites.

Fadzil emphasized that Malaysia is focusing on prevention and protection to manage misinformation, especially from new media. They are investing heavily in educating and empowering the public with online knowledge and tools to protect themselves.

Fahmi led the Malaysian delegation to the 16th Conference of Asean Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) in Danang, Vietnam.

In order to address the issue of misinformation, disinformation, and fake news, Malaysia has established a task force consisting of various agencies, including the Police, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), and the Attorney General Chambers. This task force aims to improve inter-agency coordination to manage unverified news on new media.

Fahmi explained that this initiative is in response to AMRI’s Working Group on Information, Media, and Training, which has formed the Task Force on Fake News (TFFN) to combat fake news through sharing best practices and establishing shared initiatives in the Asean region.

Malaysia has also launched fact-checking websites, Sebenarnya.my and MyCheck Malaysia, to enable the Malaysian public to cross-reference and report false information. Sebenarnya.my has an average of 4.8 million hits per month and is the most effective fact-checking website in Malaysia.

Fadzil stressed the importance of ensuring reliable and correct information is disseminated to the masses, as misinformation can have severe consequences for individuals, communities, and nations.

He noted that the media plays a crucial role in converting information into knowledge, which contributes to a resilient and responsive Asean. Malaysia actively promotes Asean awareness among its people, particularly school children and young adults.

The 16th AMRI, themed “Media: From Information To Knowledge For A Resilient And Responsive Asean,” provides a platform for Asean member states and dialogue countries to exchange ideas and identify priorities for future cooperation.

Vietnam Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan highlighted the importance of promoting timely and accurate information and minimizing the impact of negative information at national, regional, and international levels during her opening speech at AMRI.

Overall, the conference aims to achieve the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and the priorities of the Asean Community.