PUTRAJAYA: All ministries have been called to strengthen monitoring to prevent an increase in the cost of goods following the review of civil servants’ salaries, says Fahmi Fadzil (pic).
The Communications Minister said this was highlighted by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof when he chaired the Cabinet meeting.
“The Deputy Prime Minister stressed the importance of enhancing enforcement measures to ensure that prices, particularly in restaurants, do not rise.
“While the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry was given specific instructions, all ministries have been tasked with improving their monitoring efforts,” Fahmi said at a post-Cabinet press conference yesterday.
In another update, Fahmi assured that obtaining a licence for social media and Internet messaging platforms will be streamlined, taking between three and five working days. This process is set to begin in October or November this year.
“We assure social media providers that the licensing process will fall under the ‘class licence’ category, which is more efficient than the ‘individual licence’ process.
“While individual licences could take several months, the class licence will be processed within three to five working days,” he explained, noting that no applications have been submitted yet.
The government spokesman also mentioned that the Communications Ministry and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will continue engaging with stakeholders, social media platform operators and Internet service providers regarding licensing issues.
On July 27, the MCMC announced that all social media and Internet messaging services with at least eight million registered users in Malaysia must apply for a class licence starting Aug 1.
This new regulatory framework aims to address rising cybercrime, including scams and sexual crimes against children, with enforcement expected to begin on Jan 1 next year.
Fahmi added that the ministry is working on developing a code of conduct for social media platforms and will hold engagement sessions with stakeholders, including academicians and non-governmental organisations.
“We anticipate completion by the end of October. Simultaneously, we will continue discussions with relevant platforms regarding licensing matters,” he said.
When asked about the possibility of banning Telegram for civil servants, Fahmi stated that no decision has been made.
This follows a recent move by the municipality of Amsterdam, Netherlands, which prohibited government employees from using the messaging app on work phones due to espionage concerns.
“Security instructions are typically managed by the Chief Government Security Office,” Fahmi said.
