Petaling Jaya, 16 April 2026 – The Communications and Multimedia Content Forum of Malaysia (CMCF) marked its 25th anniversary at its Annual General Meeting yesterday, as the industry prepares for the next phase of content standards, including a new Content Code addressing artificial intelligence, child protection, and platform accountability.
The upcoming 4th Edition of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Content Code will introduce provisions on AI-generated content, strengthen safeguards for children, provide clearer considerations for vulnerable communities, and reinforce platform responsibilities, in line with recent amendments to the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 and the introduction of the Online Safety Act.
Beyond the Code, CMCF is also currently developing a Sub-Code on Online Gaming, alongside new Guidelines for Influencers and AI-generated Content, signalling a broader push to address emerging risks and responsibilities across the digital ecosystem.
This work comes against a backdrop of rising public engagement on content issues. In 2025, CMCF’s Complaints Bureau received 1,198 complaints, a 57% increase from the previous year, reflecting heightened scrutiny of content standards. Cases raised by the public ranged from the advertisement of vape products in news content to the use of profanity on radio and the portrayal of indecent scenes in television dramas.
Established in 2001, CMCF was formed in a media environment that was largely linear and centrally distributed. Over the past two and a half decades, the content ecosystem has shifted significantly, shaped by the growth of social media, digital platforms, and user-driven content.
In response, CMCF has expanded its membership beyond traditional media to include technology, media, and digital service providers, reflecting a broader distribution of responsibility across the content landscape. Its multi-stakeholder base has also grown to include civil society organisations, academicians, and professional associations, strengthening the range of perspectives that inform standards development and ensuring alignment with public expectations.
Speaking at the AGM, CMCF Chairman Datuk Rafiq Razali said the evolution of the ecosystem has reinforced, rather than diminished, the importance of self-regulation.
“While the way content is created, shared and consumed has changed dramatically, the need for responsible practices remains constant. Self-regulation continues to offer a practical and adaptive framework for the industry to balance innovation with accountability,” he said.
CMCF CEO Mediha Mahmood added that the Forum’s next phase will focus on ensuring standards remain relevant in a fast-changing environment.
“As the ecosystem evolves, our role is to ensure that standards keep pace, grounded in both industry realities and public expectations. That requires continued collaboration across platforms, creators, and communities,” she said.
As it marks 25 years, CMCF continues to position self-regulation as a central pillar of Malaysia’s content governance framework, with an emphasis on shared responsibility across the digital ecosystem.
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