KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--The Malaysian government's anti-piracy unit has approved an immediate ban on sales of video CDs in open places to fight against the proliferation of illegal software and pornography.

Muhyiddin Yassin, the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs minister, said the ban includes the sale of all DVDs and CDs, including video CDs, by licensed traders.

According to the daily newspaper The Star, Muhyiddin cited studies showing that the majority of licensed distributors of CDs sell pirated and pornographic CDs together with their legitimate wares.

More than 5,000 traders in nighttime markets, shops and roadside stalls are involved in selling CDs, he said, and more than 70 percent of them deal in pornographic and pirated materials.

With the ban, CDs can be sold only in legally recognized shopping lots and shopping malls.

The move will help the authorities monitor and enforce the laws pertaining to software piracy and illegal video CDs, Muhyiddin said. "The law for enforcement is there. There's no need for amendments," he said. "The ban can be imposed because it is a licensing condition...Action can be taken when traders breach the law and the licensing conditions."

CNET Malaysia staff reported from Malaysia.