Public Consultation on the Proposed Enhancements to the Communications and Multimedia (Licensing) Regulations 2000
25 September 2026
On 21 September 2026, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (“MCMC”) issued a Public Consultation Paper (“PCP”) to seek input on the proposed enhancements to the Communications and Multimedia (Licensing) Regulations 2000 (“Licensing Regulations”), which operationalise key aspects of the licensing framework under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (“CMA”).
The proposed enhancements have been divided under 3 themes. We set out below an overview of the salient points discussed in the PCP:
Theme 1: Alignment with the CMA
Renewal of Individual Licences
The PCP proposes amending Regulation 11 of the Licensing Regulations to extend the deadline for submitting an individual licence renewal application from 60 days to six months before licence expiry, aligning the Licensing Regulations with the amended Section 34(1) of the CMA which requires renewal applications to be submitted at least six months before the licence expires.
Deemed Licensing Framework
The Licensing Regulations currently do not set out the requirements and obligations applicable to deemed licensees under the deeming mechanism in Section 46A of the CMA. The PCP proposes introducing a provision expressly requiring deemed licensees to provide the following to MCMC:
- details of the company and its business;
- descriptions of the relevant facilities, services or applications;
- details of their local representative and proof of appointment; and
- such other information as may be required by MCMC.
The provision will also clarify that deemed licensees are not subject to the registration fee requirements applicable to class licensees that register voluntarily.
It is to be noted that PCP does not provide any indication of the proposed new fees or rate of increase to be imposed.
Theme 2: Licence Fee Framework Review
The PCP proposes a review of fees for the following frameworks:
- Individual Licence Fee Framework: A uniform increase to the fees listed under Table A of the First Schedule of the Licensing Regulations, save for the approval and application fees, considering the recent revision to the annual individual licence fee.
- Class Licence Fee Framework: A uniform increase to the fees listed under the Second Schedule of the Licensing Regulations, save for the registration fee, which will be split into two categories – Network Facilities Provider, Network Service Provider and Content Applications Service Provider class licences will be subject to a common registration fee, whereas Applications Service Provider class licences will be subject to a separate and higher fee due to their direct interface with end-users.
- Regulatory Fee Framework: Introduction of a regulatory fee framework applicable to class licensees operating from outside Malaysia. The proposed mechanism will enable the Minister of Communications to prescribe regulatory fees based on the level of regulatory oversight required and other relevant considerations.
Theme 3: Licensing Framework Modernisation and Updates
Modernisation of Licensing Definitions
The PCP proposes updating selected definitions in Regulation 2 of the Licensing Regulations, including the removal of references to obsolete technologies, legacy services and outdated terminology, such as:
- “audiotext hosting service” – removing the reference to 600 short codes;
- “Internet access service” – removing the references to dial-up connectivity and direct connection technology;
- “messaging service” – substituting “multimedia form” with “any form”;
- “public cellular service” – revising the definition to reflect current mobile technologies by allowing voice and data services to be provided either together or separately; and
- “public switched data service” – removing the references to telegram, telex, ISDN and ATM services, with the definitions of these terms also to be removed.
Network Security Requirements
The PCP proposes including compliance with relevant network security requirements as a standard licence condition applicable to all individual and class licensees, regardless of licence category. At present, this condition is imposed through special licence conditions attached to newly issued and renewed licences.
Alignment with other Legislative Updates
The PCP proposes amending Regulation 33A of the Licensing Regulations to extend the period for individual licensees to submit their audited accounts to MCMC from three months to six months after the end of their financial year, to align with the reporting and filing requirements under the Companies Act 2016.
Comments
The PCP comprises 10 questions, including general questions on respondents’ profiles, their assessment of the existing Licensing Regulations, and questions inviting views on the proposed enhancements under each of the three themes set out above. The deadline for submitting feedback on the PCP is 12.00pm on 20 October 2026. Interested parties are advised to take note of this deadline and submit any feedback by then.
The PCP can be accessed
here.
For further information, please contact Charmayne Ong (Partner), Natalie Lim (Partner), and Jillian Chia (Partner) of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications Practice of Skrine.
This article/alert contains general information only. It does not constitute legal advice nor an expression of legal opinion and should not be relied upon as such. For further information, kindly contact skrine@skrine.com.