KUALA LUMPUR, July 20 — Approximately 8,014 charges related to online fraud crimes have been recorded as of May this year, surpassing the total of 6,140 charges throughout 2025, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
This indicated that the threat of online fraud was becoming more serious not only in terms of the increasing number of cases, but also in the increasing financial losses to people.
"Therefore, there is an urgent need to enact a comprehensive cybercrime law to deal with cybercrime more effectively, in line with the increasingly complex and sophisticated cybersecurity threat landscape," he said when tabling the Cyber Crime Bill 2026 for its second reading in the Dewan Negara today.
Zahid added that 10,245 individuals had been arrested as of May this year, with the highest arrests involving telecommunications, e-commerce, investment, and non-existent loan crimes.
The number of arrests increased from 16,244 in 2022 to 23,753 in 2025, the highest in the period, and is evidence of the Royal Malaysia Police's continued efforts to combat online fraud.
"This reflects the enforcement focus on the most active syndicates and has a major impact on society," he said.
The Cyber Crime Bill 2026, which consists of eight parts and 61 clauses, was passed by the Dewan Rakyat on July 1 and was drafted to repeal the Computer Crime Act 1997 and strengthen the country's legal framework for dealing with the increasingly complex threat of cybercrime.
