KUALA LUMPUR: The Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (July 15) passed the Communications and Multimedia (Amendment) Bill 2026 to strengthen the country's communications and multimedia ecosystem in response to rapid technological developments, without imposing any additional charges on users.
The amendments seek to incorporate national security elements into the National Universal Service Provision (USP) initiative, which will be introduced.
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching said the move is aimed at ensuring the communications and multimedia legal framework remains relevant in addressing technological advancements, geopolitical changes and the country's growing reliance on critical digital infrastructure.
"This amendment is not intended to expand the scope of Act 588 into areas under the jurisdiction of other agencies. Instead, it is confined to the communications and multimedia framework, particularly the USP initiative relating to the use of network or application services through the installation of network facilities and the provision of related services," she said when winding up debate on the bill.
The Bill was passed by a majority vote after being debated by 18 MPs.
Teo said users in areas with limited communications coverage or services would also benefit from the National USP initiative, which is designed to enhance the security, resilience, reliability and continuity of the country's communications services.
Addressing concerns that the cost of the USP initiative could be passed on to consumers, she said the USP Fund is financed through contributions from licensees under Act 588 and may only be used to provide network facilities and related services.
During the debate, Datuk Suhaimi Nasir (BN-Libaran) said the amendment should prioritise efforts to expand communications coverage in rural, interior, coastal and island areas of Sabah, while also strengthening national security.
He said no area should be left without communications access, particularly during emergencies or disasters, as a stable network is crucial to ensure aid can be delivered promptly.
Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah (PN-Langkawi) called on the Communications Ministry to disclose the current balance of the Kumpulan Wang USP and outline its planned utilisation to ensure allocations for the development of rural communications infrastructure would not be affected by the amendment.
Meanwhile, Datuk Shahelmey Yahya (BN-Putatan) proposed that forms of digital manipulation be gazetted from time to time to enable the public to take appropriate contingency measures to safeguard their personal information and financial transactions.
He also urged the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to strengthen its in-house expertise in cybersecurity. - Bernama
