MALAYSIA'S Online Safety Act (ONSA), which came into force on Jan 1 is not only timely but essential.
ONSA represents a decisive and forward-looking response by the Government to ensure that digital spaces remain safe, accountable, and responsibly managed.
It reflects a firm commitment to safeguarding public order, national security, and societal well-being in an increasingly complex information environment.
Importantly, ONSA addresses a wide spectrum of harmful content (as per the First Schedule), including:
- Child sexual abuse material, as provided under section 4 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017;
- Financial fraud-related content; obscene and indecent content that offends standards of decency;
- Threatening, abusive, or insulting content causing harassment, fear, or distress;
- Content that may incite violence or terrorism;
- Content that encourages self-harm among children;
- Content that promotes hostility, ill-will, or disrupts public tranquillity; and,
- Content that promotes the use or sale of dangerous drugs.
Online harm does not exist in silos. It operates across emotional, psychological, and ideological dimensions, often with cumulative real-world consequences.
Among these categories, content that incites violence or supports terrorism remains particularly dangerous.
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Such material can rapidly transition from digital influence to physical action, making early intervention not just desirable, but critical.
The urgency of this issue is illustrated by current global developments, particularly the ongoing tensions and conflict in the Middle East, including Iran.
Digital platforms have become saturated with highly emotive, polarising, and often unverified content related to these conflicts. Narratives are amplified in real time, some legitimate, others deeply misleading or deliberately inflammatory.
In the case of Iran, for instance, online spaces have been used not only to disseminate state and counter-state narratives, but also to mobilise ideological support, justify acts of violence, and deepen geopolitical divisions.
Crucially, ONSA recognises a fundamental reality of the digital age: harm is borderless. Its extraterritorial application ensures that the law applies not only within Malaysia but also to service providers operating outside the country, so long as their platforms are accessible to users in Malaysia.
By extending its scope beyond geographical boundaries, ONSA ensures that accountability is not limited by location but anchored in impact.
At the same time, it is crucial to emphasise that ONSA is not designed to suppress legitimate discourse. Freedom of speech remains a fundamental principle within Malaysia’s legal framework.
However, like all rights, it is subject to reasonable and proportionate limits, particularly where national security, public order, and the protection of vulnerable groups are at stake.
ONSA targets content that crosses the threshold into harm, not ordinary disagreement, criticism, or debate.
With the appropriate safeguards in place, ONSA has the capacity to strike a careful and principled balance between protecting society and respecting individual rights.
Ultimately, ONSA recognises a simple but critical truth: what happens online does not stay online. It shapes perceptions, influences behaviour, and can have direct consequences for public safety and national stability.
By introducing ONSA, Malaysia is taking a firm, responsible, and necessary step in addressing the realities of the digital age.
It is about ensuring that digital spaces remain platforms for constructive engagement, not vehicles for harm.
Dr Haezreena Begum Abdul Hamid
Criminologist and Senior Lecturer Faculty of Law, Universiti Malaya
The views expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Daily Express. If you have something to share, write to us at: Forum@dailyexpress.com.my
