KUALA LUMPUR (April 13): The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) has reprimanded Remitano for operating a digital asset exchange (DAX) in Malaysia without authorisation from the regulator.

Remitano provides an escrowed P2P Bitcoin marketplace.

In a statement today, the regulator said the entity has also been included on the SC’s Investor Alert list.

The SC said it views this transgression as serious and is working with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to block Remitano’s website.

SC said it has also written to Google and Apple to disable the operation of Remitano’s mobile applications in Malaysia.

“Operating a DAX without obtaining SC’s approval to be registered as a Registered Market Operator (RMO) is an offence under Section 7 of the Capital Markets and Services Act 2007.

“If a person is convicted, he may be liable to a fine not exceeding RM10 million or imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years, or both.

“Investors are urged to immediately cease trading through the platform and to withdraw all their investments before Remitano’s website is blocked and becomes inaccessible in Malaysia,” said the SC.

The SC said it had over the last two years intensified its efforts in combating illegal investment schemes through various anti-scam awareness campaigns launched under the SC’s lnvestSmart platform, to constantly remind investors to exercise caution before investing in schemes, particularly those offered on social media and messaging platforms.

It added that these campaigns were conducted through television, radio, social media platforms and websites, including an anti-scam dedicated page on the SC’s website.

The SC’s Investor Alert list has also been updated regularly, accompanied by media announcements and InvestSmart’s social media postings to alert members of the public on the updates.

Investors were reminded to trade only with Recognized Market Operators that are registered with the SC.

Those who trade with unlicensed or unregistered entities or individuals are not protected under Malaysian securities laws and are thus exposed to risks such as fraud and money laundering.

The SC said the public should alert the commission if they came across any suspicious websites or receive any unsolicited phone calls or emails offering unauthorised investment schemes, especially those that offer high returns with little or no risks.