108 Dictating the Internet: “providing content which is indecent, obscene, false, menacing, or offensive in character with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any person”.399 Section 263(2) of the CMA, under the heading of “National Interest Matters”, provides that “(every) licensee shall, upon written request by the (MCMC) or any other authority, assist the Commission or other authority as far as reasonably necessary in preventing the commission or attempted commission of an offence” under the domestic laws of Malaysia, “including, but not limited to, … preservation of national security”.400 In September 2018, the Communications and Multimedia Minister announced that the government would look into amending provisions such as sections 211 and 233 to “ensure there is no political persecution (and) no abuse, to ensure that there is fairness and… ultimately… to regulate multimedia fairly”.401 In August 2019, however, the MCMC set up a WhatsApp hotline for members of the public to submit screenshots of social media posts deemed “inappropriate or negative” with respect to “race, religion and royalty” – raising concerns that even as this measure could be effective in the short run to prevent proliferation of hate speech online, it could result in policing of expression online by not only the government but also members of the general public.402 The setting up of this hotline further raises concerns that the trend of increased surveillance and policing of cyberspace in Malaysia may continue to the detriment of free expression online.403 399 CMA, sections 211, 233. 400 CMA, section 263(2). 401 Bernama, ‘Gobind: Communications and Multimedia Act to be amended’, The Star Online, 4 September 2018, Available at: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2018/09/04/gobindcommunications-and-multimedia-act-to-be-amended/ 402 Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, ‘Where is our democracy? MCMC complaint hotline means we still need policing, says Umno senator’, Malay Mail, 18 August 2019, Available at: https://www.malaymail. com/news/malaysia/2019/08/18/where-is-our-democracy-mcmc-complaint-hotline-means-westill-need-policing/1781742 403 The Malaysian Police have noted that the force ‘constantly monitors’ social media. See Malay Mail, ‘Cops tracking down social media users who claimed to have witnessed Sungai Besi road rage incident’, 13 August 2019, Available at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/08/13/ cops-tracking-down-social-media-users-who-claimed-to-have-witnessed-sungai/1780335; Syed Jaymal Zahiid, ‘IGP: Get rid of me and 126,000 cops will watch Twitter’, Malay Mail, 25 March 2015, Available at: https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2015/03/25/igp-get-rid-of-meand-126000-cops-will-watch-twitter/866283