Malaysian government ISP blocks 306 online gambling websites
News on 12 Sep 2015
News on 12 Sep 2015
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has released figures showing that it has ISP-blocked access to 306 online gambling websites since early this year.
The blocks were initiated following cases made by the police force, which is engaged in an ongoing internet gambling clampdown.
MCMC Digital and Media Literacy Division senior director Eneng Faridah Iskandar told local media that the police had submitted the applications after the offending websites had been verified to contain “criminal elements.”
Last year, the Commission blocked 235 online gambling websites under the Common Gaming House Act 1953 (Act 289).
The MCMC sends out directives to Internet service providers, instructing them to block access to sites identified through police operations, a spokesperson said.
The Commission also assists the police by making the technical services of its digital forensics laboratory in Cyberjaya available when required to assist investigations.
Malaysia reportedly had 20.1 million Internet users last year, with the principal demographic aged between 15 and 34 years, the MCMC spokesperson revealed. 88.2 percent used the Internet to surf for information; 87.1 percent for surfing social networking sites; and 81.1 percent for communication by text purposes such as WhatsApp.
