NOTICE OF INSTITUTIONAL ALIGNMENT: This correspondence and the accompanying evidentiary record are being shared with relevant trade, diplomatic, and investment stakeholders to ensure all parties possess a consistent factual baseline regarding this unresolved custodial matter during the current transition period.
Cross-Border Digital Trade Incident: Unauthorized Deletion of Malaysian Business Asset by U.S.-Based Digital Infrastructure Providers
Dear Mr. Richardson,
I am a business operator and consumer located in Malaysia. I am writing to formally bring to your attention a severe cross-border digital commerce incident involving U.S.-based digital infrastructure providers, which resulted in the unauthorized loss of a long-held business asset and the apparent failure of all meaningful governance and remediation mechanisms.
I submit this matter to the International Trade Administration because it directly implicates international digital trade, trust in U.S.-based digital services exports, and the reliability of U.S.-governed internet infrastructure relied upon by non-U.S. businesses.
- Summary of the Incident
On June 11, 2025, I discovered my domain name malaysia.build was removed from my registrar account.
Key facts (undisputed):
- Registered continuously since 2014
- Fully paid, with auto-renew enabled
- Approximately five months remaining before expiry
- Removed without authorization
- Removed without prior notice
- Removed without an EPP (authorization) code
See https://loss.co/uncovering-the-facts-of-malaysia-build-domain-loss/
The domain was the core digital asset of a nearly completed real estate platform developed over more than nine years, representing substantial financial investment and planned commercial activity.
A functional demonstration of the lost project remains publicly accessible at:
The incident resulted in the total loss of a high-value digital business asset, disruption of planned market entry, and significant economic harm.
- U.S.-Based Entities Involved
This incident involves multiple interconnected U.S.-based entities operating within the global digital services market:
- Namecheap, Inc. — Registrar and primary consumer-facing provider
- eNom, LLC — Upstream registrar / service provider
- .BUILD Registry — Top-level domain operator
- ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) — Contractual Compliance, Ombudsman, and Board-level governance
Together, these entities form part of the U.S.-centered digital infrastructure ecosystem relied upon by international businesses for domain custody, security, and continuity.
Why Every Party Failed
Every single accountability mechanism designed to protect registrants failed completely.
→ For the detailed evidence of each failure, visit the dedicated case pages:
- Why Namecheap Failed – Engaged in a circular blame game, claiming to be ‘waiting for upstream providers and .build registry’. When this failed, they escalated the case to their legal department, which issued a final denial of all responsibility and prematurely closed the case, severing all communication without providing a resolution.
- Why Enom Failed – Provided one email, then total communication blackout.
- Why .BUILD Registry Failed – Absolute silence; never responded to a single communication.
- Why ICANN Compliance Failed – 190 days of delays, contradictory statements, Catch-22s and eventual silence.
- Why the Ombudsman Failed – Trapped by a procedural Catch-22s, enabling the delay instead of investigating it.
- Why the ICANN Board Failed – Ultimate authority, yet complete silence for 81 days and counting.
- Pattern of Systemic Failure (220+ Days)
Despite sustained escalation across all available channels for more than 220 days, no effective remedy or resolution has occurred. The documented pattern includes:
- Written acknowledgment by Namecheap that the domain was removed without the required EPP authorization code
- Closure of the same support ticket twice, each time assigning responsibility to different and mutually incompatible entities
- No substantive clarification or acceptance of responsibility from eNom or the .BUILD Registry
- Better Business Bureau Case 24334069 closed on January 13, 2026, after multiple unsuccessful attempts to obtain a response
- ICANN Contractual Compliance complaint (01448650) unresolved for more than 190 days
- ICANN Ombudsman complaint dismissed as “out of scope” after extended delay, creating a procedural dead end
Collectively, these events have produced what can reasonably be described as a procedural black hole for a non-U.S. business relying on U.S.-governed digital infrastructure.
- Implications for International Digital Trade
This case raises broader concerns relevant to international commerce:
- Whether foreign businesses can safely rely on U.S.-based digital custodianship
- Whether foundational security controls (such as EPP authorization) are consistently enforced
- Whether governance and oversight mechanisms function once failures occur
- Whether unresolved custodial failures represent undisclosed risk in U.S. digital services exports
The prolonged absence of remediation or explanation undermines confidence in U.S. digital market accountability, particularly for international businesses with no effective alternative forum once internal, contractual, and oversight mechanisms fail.
- Public Evidence and Documentation (Complete Record)
The full evidentiary record is publicly documented and includes correspondence, technical demonstrations, and third-party records:
Master timeline and evidence:
Responses and non-responses:
Project scope and asset details:
Video and technical proof:
Pattern of non-response:
and continue through the end of the record.
Related U.S. Filings (Already Submitted):
- FTC — Report #195289817
- Arizona Attorney General — CIC# 25-020223
- Better Business Bureau — Case #24334069
- Request for U.S. Commercial Service Review and Commercial Diplomacy
I formally request that the U.S. Commercial Service Phoenix exercise its Commercial Diplomacy mandate to inquire with Namecheap’s executive leadership regarding this breakdown in digital service exports to the Malaysian market.
The Case for Intervention:
- Administrative Trade Barrier: The failure of a U.S. custodian to account for a foreign client’s asset for over 220 days constitutes a significant barrier to digital trade.
- Reputational Damage: This incident undermines the “Digital Services” export reputation of the State of Arizona and the United States.
- Systemic Risk: The documented silence of all parties suggests a systemic accountability failure involving multiple layers, including eNom, the .BUILD Registry, and ICANN governance—all occurring during a $1.5 billion acquisition by CVC Capital Partners.
- Public Visibility: This custodial failure has surpassed 5,121 globally on the NamePros industry forum, signaling a growing loss of confidence in U.S.-based digital custodial services. See https://www.namepros.com/threads/is-your-domain-truly-secure-my-experience-raises-serious-questions.1362731/page-5#posts
Objective: I call upon the International Trade Administration (ITA) to investigate this breach of custodial integrity. This case represents a critical test of whether U.S. governance can uphold accountability in the digital domains it seeks to lead.
This incident now serves as a publicly cited case study in digital custodial risk, referenced in international business forums and regulatory complaints.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
WONG TAI CHIEW
Malaysian Citizen
6019-8280131
Namecheap Ticket: #NC-UWS-6390
ICANN Case: #01448650
P.S.
I am also copying the Digital Attaché for the ASEAN region, the Malaysian Minister of Communications, and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). Given the significant implications for the reliability of U.S. digital exports in Southeast Asia and the ongoing $1.5 billion acquisition of Namecheap by CVC Capital Partners, this matter now impacts a broad range of regulatory, diplomatic, and commercial stakeholders.
CC Distribution List
U.S. Department of Commerce & International Trade
- Leandro Solórzano, Director, U.S. Commercial Service Phoenix | [email protected]
- Dennis Simmons, Senior Commercial Officer, U.S. Embassy Kuala Lumpur | [email protected]
- Kisok Kumar, ICT Commercial Specialist, U.S. Commercial Service Malaysia | [email protected]
- Digital Attaché (ASEAN), U.S. Commercial Service Singapore | [email protected]
Malaysian Regulatory Oversight (MCMC & Ministry)
- YB Fahmi Fadzil, Minister of Communications | [email protected]
- Chairman’s Office, MCMC | [email protected]
- NEAM (National Enquiry), MCMC | [email protected]
- Ruzamri Ruwandi, MCMC | [email protected]
- Communications & Industry Relations Division, MCMC | [email protected]
- Aduan MCMC (Official Registry of Complaints) | [email protected]
Acquisition Oversight & Compliance (CVC Capital Partners)
- Brechje van der Velden, Global Chief Legal and Compliance Officer | [email protected]
- Patrick Humphris, Head of Corporate Affairs | [email protected]
- CVC Global Compliance Unit | [email protected]
Governance & Regulatory Oversight (ICANN)
- Office of the Ombudsman, ICANN | [email protected]
- Contractual Compliance, ICANN | [email protected] (Ref: Case #01448650)
The evidence is cataloged here. The structural solution is THE WONG CLAUSE, and it is being institutionalized.
Disclaimer: This website reflects the author’s personal account and opinions regarding the loss of access to the domain *malaysia.build*. The information presented is based on direct experience, contemporaneous records, and a good-faith belief in its accuracy at the time of publication. Mentions of companies, registrars, registries, or other organizations are included only to factually describe events and circumstances relevant to this case. These references are provided solely to factually describe documented events and communications. They should not be read as allegations of misconduct, negligence, or liability of any individual, company, or organization. The content is provided solely for informational and documentary purposes. It does not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice, and should not be relied upon as a definitive statement of fact or legal conclusion.
Corrections Policy: If any party believes that information contained on this website is inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading, they are invited to contact the author at [email protected]. All requests will be reviewed promptly and in good faith. Verified corrections, clarifications, or updates will be published transparently.
Right of Reply: Any registrar, registry, upstream provider, or organization referenced in this website is welcome to submit a written response. Such responses will be published in full, unedited, to ensure fairness and balance.
© 2025 WONG TAI CHIEW. All Rights Reserved.