Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) approved Telegram’s licence application on Jan 2.

He said Meta – which oversees Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp – is still in the process of submitting some documents and is expected to receive its licence soon.

Fahmi also said he had instructed MCMC to engage with Google, which operates YouTube, to submit its application for an operating licence in Malaysia.

He said that although discussions about the application are still ongoing, Google has been warned not to violate local laws by showing videos about scams and online gambling.

Fahmi was speaking to the media during a press conference after attending a document exchange ceremony for the Melaka Digital Village initiative between MCMC and the Melaka state government.

Last June, Putrajaya said it will require social media platforms and messaging services with more than eight million users in the country to obtain a licence as part of efforts to curb financial scams, cyberbullying and sexual crimes online.

MCMC previously said the companies may face legal action if they fail to obtain licences by Jan 1.

On Jan 1, MCMC said both X (formerly known as Twitter) and Google had yet to submit their applications to MCMC.