T&A: Reuters has released a report saying that the Malaysian authorities are looking into the possibility of establishing an Internet filter, similar to China’s abandoned “Green Dam” project.

While there is speculation that this proposal could be linked to how a vibrant Internet culture may have contributed to recent political challenges the government faces, tender submissions to implement the filter are already in place, with a second unidentified source saying that there are also plans to secure control over the content and monitoring division of Malaysia’s Internet regulator.

UPDATE 07 August 2009: Malaysian authorities have responded to the report and clarified that the filter is aimed at curbing pornography, this according to a follow-up report from Reuters. However, the report also warned of the impact a filter might have on investor confidence, citing whether this would affect Google’s consideration to set up the world’s largest server farm in Malaysia’s version of the Silicon Valley — the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC).

UPDATE 12 August 2009: Reuters has followed on earlier reports with an update where Malaysian authorities clarified that the Web filter will not be carried out. Instead, the country will now study alternative measures to police sedition, fraud and child pornography on the Internet.

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