Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil revealed that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has received only 80 complaints regarding recycled mobile phone numbers since 2021.
He stated that this accounts for just 0.0016% of the total mobile service users in the country, which has surpassed 49.4 million users as of the second quarter of this year, as reported by Bernama.
He emphasised that the use of recycled numbers is part of the existing policy outlined in the Numbering and Electronic Addressing Plan (NEAP) 2023, designed to ensure the efficient reuse of allocated numbers and minimise wastage.
In response to a question from Rodziah Ismail (PH-Ampang) during a session in the Dewan Rakyat regarding the possibility of implementing a policy to cancel recycled numbers to enhance consumer security, Fahmi explained that inactive numbers undergo a quarantine or cooling-off period of at least six months before they can be reused to reduce risks associated with calls to users of old numbers.
He pointed out that similar practices are also employed in other countries, such as the United States (45 days), Australia (six months), and Singapore (90 days).
Fahmi cautioned that while measures have been taken to mitigate problems and risks, MCMC cannot prevent banks or other services from storing customers’ personal data for extended periods.
Therefore, new users should exercise caution and utilise mobile phone functions to block numbers.
Fahmi also advised users to report calls that threaten their safety or involve fraudulent activities by making a police report and contacting the National Scam Response Centre (NSRC) helpline at 997.
In response to a supplementary question about the possibility of extending NSRC operations to 24 hours, Fahmi indicated that the ministry is exploring ways to enhance public access to channels for lodging complaints about the problems they encounter.
While NSRC currently operates from 8 am to 8 pm, additional funding has been received to improve the service.
