Govt Drafting New Bill To Combat Cybercrime 

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- The government is in the process of drafting a new bill on cybercrime as part of efforts to curb online offences in the country, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said. 

He said the gap between existing laws and the current realities of cybercrime has been identified as one of the most critical issues affecting the effectiveness of enforcement actions against syndicates involved in such activities.

Shamsul Anuar said many legal provisions are deemed outdated or insufficiently stringent, especially in dealing with increasingly sophisticated fraud techniques.

“More concerning is the absence of a comprehensive act that specifically addresses cross-border cybercrimes, resulting in many cases being left unresolved or unprosecuted.

“In addition, the penalties imposed are sometimes too lenient and fail to serve as an effective deterrent to offenders or other syndicates,” he said during question time in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Doris Sophia Brodi (GPS–Sri Aman), who asked about the weaknesses in enforcement that have led to Malaysia being perceived as a preferred destination for international scam syndicates, including a recent case involving over 400 individuals detained in Bangsar South in the federal capital. 

Shamsul Anuar said limitations in technical expertise and manpower among digital forensic and cyber enforcement teams also pose major challenges, as many officers are still not adequately equipped to deal with new technologies used by scammers, such as virtual private networks (VPNs), spoofing and encrypted communication platforms.

“Furthermore, the country’s cyber monitoring and security infrastructure has yet to match that of developed nations, leading to slower and less comprehensive detection and response to digital threats,” he said.

He added that the government has amended existing laws such as the Penal Code (Act 574), particularly on financial fraud involving mule accounts, by introducing new provisions, including Section 42D on offences related to the possession, control or use of ATM cards, credit cards and other payment instruments.

He said Malaysia’s efforts to combat cybercrime also involve regional collaboration, and in 2022, five joint operations with neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Australia and Taiwan led to the rescue of more than 30 victims of love scams and job fraud cases.

“For 2023, three joint operations were conducted with Singapore and Taiwan involving similar cases, which resulted in 21 arrests. In 2024, another 10 suspects were detained in collaboration with enforcement agencies from Taiwan and Singapore, involving investment scam cases.

“This year, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) carried out four joint operations with Singapore, Indonesia and China, resulting in 45 arrests. This shows that such crimes are not confined within the country but have international links,” he said.

-- BERNAMA