How to Get a Malaysian IP Address in 2020: Protocol for the Peninsula

Malaysia is one of the world’s greatest melting pots, with rich culture, fantastic food and breathtaking experiences. If you can’t enjoy those things because you moved or traveled out of the country, you can still watch your favorite shows on Tonton. We’re going to show you how to get a Malaysian IP address so you can feel like you’re there.

Streaming websites, banks, social media networks and blogs use your IP address to locate you. Without a Malaysian IP address, you won’t be able to use your Maybank account or access episodes of Bukan Cinta Aku and Ariana Rose on Tonton or Netflix Malaysia because of geoblocks.

Netflix has one of the most sophisticated proxy and VPN detection systems in place as a way to meet the terms of its region-specific licensing and copyright laws. Read more in our Netflix VPN ban article.

Thankfully, you can spoof your location by getting a Malaysian IP address that’ll trick online services and websites into thinking you’re streaming or browsing from Malaysia, even when you’re nowhere close.

This guide on how to get a Malaysian IP address will show you the safest way to hide your IP address.

How to Get a Malaysian IP Address

There are two ways to get a Malaysian IP address: a proxy or a virtual private network. 

A proxy operates in your browser and reroutes web traffic through a different exit point in the internet to make it look like you’re there. Check out our article on the best free proxies for recommendations. Proxies aren’t the best method to change your IP address, though, because they’re unreliable and don’t have security features to protect you or hide your true IP address. 

We recommend using a VPN instead. It’ll not only get around geoblocks, but it’ll also secure your connection and help you avoid the prying eyes of surveillance agencies and other online snoops. Our VPN vs. proxy vs. Tor article explains the differences between proxies and VPNs more, but the core is security. 

That said, VPN services aren’t equal, so we picked three of our best VPN providers to help you get a Malaysian IP address.

ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN is the best VPN around. It does everything we want a VPN to do. It’s the fastest VPN and ranks first in our best VPN for Netflix and most secure VPN guides. That said, its consistency sets it apart, so you’re assured of a great experience, no matter how your connection is set up or which server you choose.

It’s ultra-secure, offering a kill switch and a rock-solid privacy policy, so your data isn’t being logged or monitored. It also has a network of over 3,000 servers in 160 locations across 94 countries. When we contacted its support team, they said it only has one server for Malaysia, but they’re confident that it’ll cater to the number of customers that need it. 

Despite its slow server switch time, ExpressVPN is easy to use, and once you install it, it’ll do almost everything for you. It works on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, and you can download the browser extension for Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Safari.  

Customer support is available 24/7. The staff provide helpful and thorough answers via live chat and email. Read more about the service in our ExpressVPN review.

ExpressVPN is one of the most expensive VPNs, but its core service is so good you’ll get your money’s worth for the extra cost. You can save money by subscribing to a longer plan, and there’s a 30-day hassle-free refund window for peace of mind.

NordVPN

NordVPN’s security is top-notch, with a kill switch that protects you if the VPN fails and double-hop servers that encrypt your connection twice.  It also honors your privacy with its no-logs policy.

It has over 5,000 servers, which is more than ExpressVPN, and they’re spread over 60 countries. Six are in Malaysia, so you shouldn’t have a problem accessing content from there. You can read our NordVPN review to learn more about the service.

NordVPN has good speeds and unlimited bandwidth, but it can be slow when connecting over long distances. It also has a fast server switch time, and you can install it simply and connect quickly on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS. 

Customer support is available via email or live chat, but you can try to fix minor issues yourself using the helpful knowledgebase. 

NordVPN is priced at an affordable monthly rate, but subscribing to a longer plan will save you money. It offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it risk-free.

CyberGhost

CyberGhost offers a good service, and though it can’t beat our first two choices, it provides great security and a kill switch, to boot. It doesn’t keep logs, either, so you won’t need to worry about privacy.

It has more than 4,500 servers that cover 60 countries. There are 10 in Malaysia, so you have plenty to choose from. Our CyberGhost review gives a more in-depth look at the service.

CyberGhost has no bandwidth caps, so you won’t have to worry about how much data you’re using. Plus, it has good speeds, but like NordVPN’s, they aren’t great over long distances. You can use CyberGhost on Windows, macOS, Android and iOS, but you may not find the desktop client’s odd dynamic tile interface appealing.

For troubleshooting tips, you can use the extensive knowledgebase. If you need more professional help, you can contact customer support via live chat or email. 

CyberGhost’s monthly package is affordable, but you can subscribe to a lengthier plan to save cash. It offers a seven-day trial, so you can try it before committing, and there’s a generous 45-day money-back guarantee, too.

Dangers of Using a Malaysian IP Address

Malaysia’s internet is “partly free” because of the extent of the Malaysian government’s surveillance of its citizens, according to a 2018 Freedom on the Net report. That means if you try to access the web from a Malaysian IP address, there are serious limits to content. 

In 2016, several news websites, blogs and social media accounts were shut down or blocked after reporting on Prime Minister Najib Razzak’s corruption scandals. As a consequence, some websites went out of business and access to publishing platforms such as Medium was restricted.

Privacy protections are generally poor. Citizen Lab, a research group based at the University of Toronto, reported that it detected FinFisher, an intrusive surveillance software that’s used on servers around the world, in Malaysia. Read our piece on the best VPN for Malaysia for more insight. 

There are several factors to consider when choosing a VPN, but for Malaysia, you want to make sure you pick one with great security because government surveillance and cybercrime are big issues. That’ll protect your data from online threats and keep you hidden from authorities.

Final Thoughts

Our hope is that this guide has eased the process of getting a Malaysian IP address, and that our three best VPN providers can get you into Malaysia while protecting your identity and keeping your connection secure.

Check out our online security archive for more articles like this one, as well as recommendations for staying safe online. Which VPN do you use to get into Malaysia? Tell us about it in the comments below. Thanks for reading.