Grab distances itself from open letter to PM on social media licensing

Grab Malaysia is reportedly distancing itself from a now-deleted open letter urging Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to pause a plan that will require social media services to apply for a license. 

In a statement on Monday, Grab Malaysia reportedly said that the proposed regulations do not impact its operations and that it had no part in the open letter, reported The Star. 

Grab Malaysia reportedly added that it is not commenting on the matter and that it remains committed to collaborating with the government. 

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A+M has reached out to Grab Malaysia for a statement. 

The open letter, written by the Asia Internet Coalition (AIC), reportedly said that the proposed regulations lacked clarity, was "unworkable" for the industry and could stifle innovation by placing undue burdens on businesses, reported Reuters. 

The group reportedly said that there had been no formal public consultations on the plan, leading to industry uncertainty regarding the imposed scope of obligations. 

It reportedly added that the proposed implementation timeline provided insufficient clarity and time for industry players to assess its implications too. 

The statement reportedly said that the proposed regulations could hamper Malaysia's growing digital economy too.  

Checks by A+M revealed that the open letter is no longer on the AIC official website. In tandem, neither the prime minister's office of Malaysia nor prime minister Anwar responded to the open letter. 

As per the new rules and regulations, all social media services and internet messaging services with at least eight million registered users in Malaysia must apply for a class license beginning 1 August. 

According to the MCMC, failure to obtain a class licence under the communications and multimedia act 1998 after the effective date will be considered an offence. It will come into effect on 1 January 2025. 

In a statement, the MCMC said that this is in line with the Cabinet's decision and is to combat the rise in cybercrime offences including scams and online fraud, cyberbullying and sexual crimes against children. 

Minister Fahmi also said that various platforms he met during his business visit in Singapore acknowledged the need to comply with Malaysian law and are willing to participate in the process. 

In Singapore, the minister reportedly met with officials from Meta, Google, TikTok and Tencent to update them on the new regulatory framework as well as discuss online security and potential collaborations to combat illegal activities online. 

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