News & Reviews:   government

In case you missed the news, the Malaysian government has confirmed a gradual transition to the upgraded MyKad with enhanced security and digital verification features. According to the National Registration Department (NRD), ordinary Malaysians do not need to rush to replace their current MyKad. The change will only become mandatory when the full ecosystem is ready.

Since early this year, the Sarawak government has taken over MASWings and renamed it AirBorneo. It will take a few more months for the airline to be fully operational, as according to Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg at a recent corporate dinner event, it will begin regional jet operations by July 2026.

The government of Singapore Police Force (SPF) has formally instructed Google and Apple to implement safeguards preventing fraudsters from spoofing government-agency identities on their messaging platforms. The order comes after a surge in scams where messages appearing to come from official organisations — such as the national postal service — were sent through encrypted messaging apps.

One of the biggest news stories to kick off this week was the Malaysian government's decision to ban Malaysian teens under 16 from creating social media accounts. That being said, Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching also confirmed that parents will not be penalised if their children under 16 create or use social media accounts.

We have reported on this news before, but it seems that the possibility has turned into reality. The Malaysian government has announced a target of 2026 for rolling out a ban that will prevent children aged under 16 from creating social media accounts.

The government has expressed its intention to implement a barrier-free toll system on various highways in the next few years. In parallel, the Ministry of Works has reportedly opened bids for the barrier-free toll system, and around six parties have submitted bids to develop it.

It has been a few days since news of a Malaysian child being harmed by his own brother, due to related matters of Roblox. Many have expressed concern, including Malaysia’s Minister of Youth and Sports, Hannah Yeoh, over the influence of online games such as Roblox on children’s behaviour and emotions, emphasising the importance of strengthening protection for young users in the digital world.

In a significant trade policy shift, the U.S. government has halved additional tariffs on Chinese imports that heavily impact Apple and its supply chain. The extra duty, previously set at 20%, has been reduced to 10%, following high-level discussions between U.S. and Chinese officials.

It was only a week ago when Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government is looking to implement age verification and identity checks for all users on social media. Looks like things are getting serious, as MCMC will convene meetings next week — in cooperation with other government agencies — with major social-media platform providers including Meta Platforms (Facebook/Instagram), Google LLC, X Corp (formerly Twitter) and TikTok.

In a sweeping move to combat online fraud, the Malaysian government is preparing to enforce a cap of two prepaid SIM cards per telecommunications company for Malaysian citizens — and a total of two across all telcos for foreign users. The announcement came from Deputy Communications Minister Teo?Nie?Ching during a session in the Dewan Rakyat.