Malaysia gets in its own way on path to tech success

Dan Lain-Lain (Malay for “and others”) is a weekly column by TIA journalist Emmanuel Samarathisa that dissects the goings-on in the Malaysia tech scene but with a heavy mix of current affairs, policy, and politics. Click here to read past articles.

Last month, I wrote about Malaysia’s growing ability to lure companies and talent away from Singapore.

This week, let’s talk about how a series of events could put paid to Malaysia’s tech ambitions.

The Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya, Malaysia’s administrative capital / Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

DNS hijacking

We’ll start with a kerfuffle that began last week when the Malaysian Communications & Multimedia Commission (MCMC) instructed internet service providers (ISPs) to implement “domain name service (DNS) redirection,” ostensibly a technical directive aimed at blocking access to malicious and illegal websites.

This is something like China’s Great Firewall, which controls and limit internet access within the country.

A screengrab of art platform ArtStation, which remains blocked in Malaysia despite assurances from the government that it would lift the ban

The MCMC, which comes under the purview of the Communications Ministry, has broad influence over Malaysia’s tech policies, particularly on regulations governing data centers, satellite connectivity, and other internet infrastructure.

This move sparked public backlash, especially from tech groups, who warned that the redirection could pose security risks and compromise internet freedom. Today’s targeted sites could be pornography or illegal gambling; tomorrow it could be news portals that give coverage to opposition politicians.

Digital rights group Sinar Project highlighted that some ISPs like Maxis had been redirecting DNS requests intended for third-party services such as Google DNS and Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 back to their own servers.

Internet users usually opt for third-party DNS providers for a range of reasons, from quicker browsing speeds to greater security. Maxis assured customers that the DNS redirection was safe and aligned with MCMC’s guidelines.

But complaints from various sectors surfaced, including service disruptions due to redirection issues and no access to certain sites that are neither porn nor gambling such as ArtStation, a platform for artists and designers.

In response to the public outcry, Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced that the MCMC would not proceed with the DNS redirection plan.

A legal twist

Chip blues