MCMC Proposes Tighter SIM Card Rules, Limiting Malaysians to Two Prepaid Numbers Per Telco
The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is moving to significantly tighten regulations on prepaid SIM card registration in a bid to combat online fraud, the spread of false information, and digital threats. The key measure under consideration is limiting Malaysian citizens to owning a maximum of two prepaid numbers per telecommunications (telco) provider.
The proposal was announced by Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching during the oral question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today. The MCMC is currently conducting a public enquiry on the draft guidelines, which also propose a blanket limit of two prepaid numbers in total for foreign nationals, irrespective of the provider.
According to the Deputy Minister, the necessity for tighter control stems from the current guidelines established in 2017, which allow an individual to register up to five prepaid numbers with each telco company.
“This means a person could have five numbers from Maxis, five from Celcom, five from Digi, five from U Mobile and five from YTL. This amounts to a rather large number of SIM cards for a single individual,” Teo explained.
She stressed that the primary objective of tightening these guidelines is to “reduce the misuse of prepaid SIM cards, which are often used to register social media accounts for fraud, spreading false information, or making threats.”
The public consultation period for these new guidelines is scheduled to conclude by the end of November 2025. The MCMC intends to enforce the new registration limits and guidelines in the first quarter of the following year. The move is part of broader measures to strengthen digital security and forensic capabilities under the MCMC’s purview.
