Malaysians Take Note, Here Are A Few Things Coming Into Effect In 2026

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As the new year rolls in, so will a few new policies and rules that will take effect which may affect our daily lives.

Some of these will also change the way we behave in public and online, not to mention help us kick some bad habits for generations to come.

While not everything that’s coming into effect in 2026 are celebrated by all, some can be viewed as being for the greater good for all Malaysians.

New Traffic Summons Discount System

Have you been holding on to traffic summons for the past one year? Well, starting from 1 January 2026, you won’t want to do that with new fines.

Instead of periodic discount campaigns for paying your samans, a fixed, time-based discount structure will be implented instead, to encourage early settlement.

Here’s how the new system works:

Court action or blacklisting (which will affect your driver’s licence and road tax renewals) will occur if your traffic summons is not paid after 61 days.

(Not so) Fun fact: There are still 4.8 million JPJ summonses that remain unpaid this year, involving an amount of RM1.45 billion, as reported by automotive news outlet paultan.org recently.

Major Messaging and Social Media Platform Licencing

Beginning in 2026, internet messaging and social media platforms with at least eight million Malaysian users will be automatically be deemed registered as Applications Service Provider Class licencees.

This means that they will be fully accountable under Malaysian law, particularly in matters of online safety, harmful content and child protection.

According to a statement by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission published on 15 December, the platforms that will be automatically registered are WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube through implementation of the Deeming Provision.

The licencing regime is intended to strengthen legal oversight and ensure that service providers are responsible for complying with Malaysian regulations aimed at safeguarding users, especially minors.

Parallel to this, Malaysia is also planning to restrict social media access for children under 16, in efforts to reduce digital harm among youths.

READ MORE: Government Wants To Ban Social Media For Kids Under 16 Next Year—Everyone’s Freaking Out

READ MORE: If We Don’t Teach Teens To Navigate The Internet, Who Will?

Stricter Littering Enforcement with RM2,000 fine for offenders

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming recently announced that the community service order for littering offences will come into effect on 1 January next year as part of stricter enforcement against littering in public spaces.

In his final warning against littering offenders, Nga said that enforcement officers have been directed to implement the new measures which include a RM2,000 fine as well as 12 hours of public cleaning work for anyone caught littering, with no discrimination in nationality, Focus Malaysia reported.

Recently, Nga criticised the actions of those who littered along Jalan Bukit Bintang near the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur shopping mall during Christmas Eve celebrations, which left the area with a large amount of rubbish.

Move Towards a Full Vape and E-Cigarette Ban

The Malaysian government, led by the Ministry of Health (MOH), has been progressing toward a nationwide ban on vaping and e-cigarette products.

A Cabinet Memorandum is expected in early 2026 to formalise this, with the ban potentially phased in by mid-2026 or by year-end, The Sun reported. This includes prohibitions on sale and use of vape products in efforts to curb health concerns and youth uptake.

At time of press, state-level bans have already been carried out, with Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, Kedah, Pahang and Perak local governments forbidding the sale of vape and e-cigarettes.

READ MORE: Puffed Out: Perak To Stop Issuing Licence For Vape Sales On 1 January

READ MORE: MOVE President: More Effective Regulation, Banning Vape Is Not the Solution

Genting Highlands Road Charge (Not a “Toll”)

Genting Malaysia Bhd has announced plans to impose a vehicle fee for motorists using Jalan Genting Highlands, the private mountainous access road to Resorts World Genting and its surrounding areas.

This is not technically a government toll (since the road lies on private land), but it functions similarly — helping cover maintenance costs of the 24 km route. Government officials have cautioned against calling it a “toll” to avoid confusion with federal highway tolls already in place.

Currently, there is still no official announcement from Genting Malaysia Bhd about the “toll” charges or when it will be operational, although a gantry has already been constructed and appears to be ready for operations.

READ MORE: Road Up To Genting Highlands Gets New Toll, Prices To Be Announced Soon

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