Malaysia to regulate e-commerce platforms following complaints

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia is considering immediate steps to regulate e-commerce platforms, including a registration mechanism, after complaints by users and some merchants, according to Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil. “There are e-commerce platforms based in Malaysia but have not registered the company here,” Fahmi said in a briefing after a cabinet meeting on Aug 26.During the meeting, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim instructed the finance and communications ministries to look into measures to address regulatory issues, Fahmi said. He did not specify nor name any of the platforms. Malaysia’s internet regulator has received a total of 1,964 complaints regarding e-commerce platforms since January 2025, according to Fahmi, including about scams, electrical and electronic products, as well as halal certification for certain products in the Muslim-majority South-east Asian country. “We will take action starting today,” Fahmi said, without revealing much details. Sea’s Shopee, ByteDance’s TikTok Shop, and Alibaba Group’s Lazada are among the most popular e-commerce platforms in Malaysia.The government has also introduced restrictions on teenagers’ access to social media services since June. BLOOMBERG