Malaysia has taken the first steps toward broadly censoring the Internet with talks underway between the Home Ministry and Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission to begin filtering out content that doesn’t reflect local culture and sensitivity.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the country's "firewall" would ensure that content on websites, such as YouTube and video-streaming sites, comply with Film Censorship Board regulations, according to a report published Monday in the Malay Mail Online.
"We are working with MCMC on this matter and I urge the commission to implement the system soon," he was quoted as saying. The minister added that the public needed to understand the government was responsible for ensuring Malays are not influenced by "negative elements".
He said that content creators would have to ensure their works did not encourage Malaysians to do things against "social and religious norms."
The Film Censorship Board has banned an increasing number of movies, including the Academy Award-winning The Wolf of Wall Street, 2014's Noah and Son of God and Sin City 2: A Dame to Die For.