Petaling Jaya (The Star/ANN) - The video clip of "Innocence of Muslims", which sparked protest in many countries, can still be viewed on YouTube by Malaysian Internet users despite a move to block access to the offending content in the country.
Following the restriction by search engine giant Google, which owns YouTube, some of the links to the video now directs users to a screen bearing the message: "This content is not available in your country due to a legal complaint."
However, several other copies of the 14-minute clip posted on the video sharing website can still be viewed as at 7:30pm with no restrictions to local Internet users.
"MCMC (Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission) has asked to remove the content and Google has taken action on it but the problem now appears to be that copies of the video are being made and uploaded on YouTube," said an Internet industry insider familiar with the matter.
The source said it would be difficult to remove all of the copies if large numbers were uploaded.
The restriction was imposed following a request on Saturday by the MCMC due to widespread anger among Muslims worldwide over the clip, which insults and mocks Prophet Muhammad and Islam.
Google Malaysia communications and public affairs head Zeffri Yusof declined to say what further measures the company would take but said Google would cooperate on all requests by MCMC.
"Where we have launched YouTube locally and we are notified that a video is illegal in that country, we will restrict access to it after a thorough review," he said when contacted.
MCMC chairman Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi said MCMC and Google would "continue to work together to ensure that the offending content is unavailable".
Aside from Malaysia, Google has blocked access to the clip in Libya, Egypt, India and Indonesia, though it can still be accessed in other countries.
Information, Culture and Communications Minister Dr Rais Yatim had reportedly said that YouTube was being insensitive to the anguish of Muslims the world over as it had yet to remove the clips.
Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali said in a statement the movement demanded that action be taken to remove the clip altogether without delay "before angry Muslims take the law into their own hands".
The International Institute of Islamic Cooperation and Council of Islamic Non-Governmental Movements of Asean, meanwhile, urged Muslims in Malaysia to conduct prayers in all mosques and surau on Thursday to pray for the well-being of Muslims in the wake of the controversy.