Boredworkers.com

The good thing about prepaid mobile phone SIM cards in Malaysia is that they are easily acquired and don’t require registration. You can purchase a prepaid card and immediately start making phone calls after a quick procedure to activate it. However, this poses a security risk.

Due to the anonymous nature of these SIMs, they can be used freely for any activity without any way of identifying the user who is accountable for his/her actions. Case in point the recent bombing in South Thailand where one of the bombs were allegedly detonated using a Malaysian SIM. Other threats include the use of these unregistered SIMs to incite and spread rumours with the aim of defamation or worse. As a result of this, telcos have been urged to enforce the registration of prepaid SIM cards. At present, there are over 14 million unregistered prepaid SIMs roaming the country. A large portion of this is held by foreign visitors vacationing in Malaysia. That is 14 million unmonitored and untraceable security threats roaming the country.

So how would one go about forcing registration of SIMs that are already in use? Disabling SIMs in batches and requiring the users to register themselves before the SIMs are reactivated seems to be the best approach. However, it is left to the telco operators to decide their approach. Personally, I feel that this registration requirement is a good one and should be enforced.

Granted that one might still be able to use registered SIMs for illegal activities and then later claim that the SIM was stolen. However, with the registration, it makes it more difficult to perform these acts in total anonymity, and at least the very least provides a point of reference for investigations to be initiated. Some might argue that it is an invasion of privacy. Frankly speaking, it is a privacy that has not been earned and neither is this privacy required.

So yes, strange as it may sound, I totally support the registration of prepaid mobile phone SIM cards. The registration process may be a small inconvenience to the users but at least there is some form of accountability and responsibility set in place. As for me, I’m a post paid user so they already know my number.