TLDR
- Malaysia gave Facebook a final warning to remove illegal gambling ads or face legal action
- Over 271,000 takedown requests were sent to Facebook from January to May 2026
- 81% of all illegal gambling content in Malaysia was found on Facebook
- Malaysians lost over $640 million to scams in 2025 including gambling-related fraud
- Malaysia plans to form a new committee involving regulators, banks, and law enforcement to fight online scams
Malaysia is putting pressure on Meta to clean up illegal gambling advertisements and scam content on Facebook. Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government is prepared to take legal action if the platform does not cooperate.
Fadzil made the comments during the Inter-Agency Retreat on Combating Online Scam. He described it as a final warning to the company.
Any legal case would be handled by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. The minister said the volume of illegal content on the platform has reached a level that can no longer be ignored.
Hundreds of Thousands of Takedown Requests Filed
Between January 1, 2026, and May 23, 2026, Malaysian authorities sent 271,472 takedown requests to Facebook. More than 91% of those requests were tied to scams and illegal gambling operations.
According to the government, 81% of all illegal gambling content identified in the country appeared on Facebook. That figure has made the platform a central focus of Malaysia’s enforcement efforts.
The sheer number of requests shows how widespread the problem has become. Authorities say the content continues to circulate despite repeated efforts to flag it.
Facebook has not publicly responded to the latest demands from the Malaysian government. It is unclear how many of the takedown requests have been fulfilled.
The situation mirrors tensions seen in other countries where governments have clashed with social media companies over content moderation. Malaysia appears to be escalating its approach after what it describes as insufficient cooperation.
Fadzil also shared data on the financial damage caused by online scams in the country. He said Malaysian consumers lost more than $640 million to scams in 2025.
The most common types of fraud included fake sales, investment scams, and gambling-related schemes. The losses highlight the real-world cost of the illegal content circulating online.
The minister framed scams and illegal gambling advertisements as a single enforcement challenge. He said both problems are fueled by the same digital platforms.
Malaysia Plans New Anti-Scam Committee
To strengthen its response, Malaysia is working on forming a new coordination committee. Fadzil said the proposal would be presented to the Malaysian cabinet soon.
The committee would bring together regulatory bodies, banks, law enforcement agencies, and telecommunications companies. The goal is to create a unified front against illegal content before it spreads further through online networks.
This approach signals a shift toward broader cooperation across government and private sectors. Previously, enforcement efforts were more fragmented.
The government sees platform accountability as a key part of its strategy. Without cooperation from companies like Meta, authorities say their enforcement tools are limited.
Malaysia’s push comes at a time when several countries in the region are tightening rules around online gambling and digital fraud. The growing scale of losses has made it a priority for regulators across Southeast Asia.
As of late May 2026, the Malaysian government is awaiting Facebook’s response to its demands and preparing the legal and institutional framework to act if compliance is not forthcoming.
