[ad_1]
PETALING JAYA: Controversial dating website Sugarbook has been blocked by Malaysia’s internet regulator, days after creating a controversy over its claims that Malaysian women offer themselves as “sugar babies.”
Internet users visiting the website from an address in Malaysia will see a notification stating that “this website is not available in Malaysia because it violates national laws”.
However, the Sugarbook app is still available for Android smartphones. However, no app has been available for Apple iPhones since February 2019, according to a notice on the Sugarbook site.
The internet regulator, Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission, had said today that it would continue to monitor and investigate the Sugarbook app and take action against users and platform owners in the event of any violation of the law.
MCMC said it was concerned by Sugarbook’s “recent marketing stunt”, which claimed that many Malaysian women, especially college students, had volunteered to be sponsored by “sugar daddies.”
Sugarbook had claimed last week that some 12,705 students from 10 higher education institutions in the Klang Valley, including two public universities, were currently registered on the platform.
Two branches of the PAS filed a police report in Penang urging the government to take action against the “immoral activities” of the dating website. A spokesperson said they did not want Malaysia to be known as a country where girls are selling their dignity for a living. The three-branch women’s wings have also filed police reports.
MCMC said that dating platforms increased the risk of dating scams and sexual harassment and said users would be exposed to risks of cyberattacks such as malware, spyware and personal data leakage through the use of such services.
The police would take additional action if there were elements of prostitution involved.
The higher education ministry has questioned the validity of the data and said it is working with local universities to investigate the matter.
Higher Education Minister Noraini Ahmad said tonight that her ministry will collaborate with MCMC to bring awareness and understanding of social issues and cybersecurity.
He said steps needed to be taken to deal with students who allegedly used dating sites to engage in immoral activities, such as meeting “sugar daddies.”
The minister and MCMC agreed to take some steps to address this problem, ”Noraini said.
