PUTRAJAYA: New technologies such as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) are needed to fight online financial crimes and ransomware attacks plaguing Asean, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Affairs Minister said the use of such new technologies will help enforcement authorities in the region work together to detect, prevent and tackle new emerging crimes in the region.
“The rise of cybercrimes, from financial scams to ransomware attacks, shows that this is not just a future problem. It is a pressing issue right now.
“Our digital intelligence must evolve as fast as technologies do, which means we must responsibly adopt new technologies such as the use of AI to significantly improve detection, prevention and enforcement against these crimes,” he said in his speech at the opening 25th Asean Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC) here yesterday.
While the use of new technologies is crucial, Saifuddin Nasution said it is only part of the solution in combating cyber threats in the Asean region.
“While we may have the use of these new tools, the true strength comes from our collective responses.
“This includes trust, sharing of information and building on each other’s capabilities,” he added.
He said efforts to combat regional transborder crimes must be equally matched with willingness among Asean member states to act decisively.
“What we need is not only our alignment but also the courage to confront new and hybrid threats,” he said, adding that this includes discarding outdated mechanisms and making bold decisions.
He reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to fighting transboundary crimes.
“It is crucial for the safety and stability of the shared prosperity of Asean.
“Without security, there can be no prosperity and without peace, there can be no meaningful progress,” he said.
Saifuddin Nasution also said that Malaysia continues to hold on firmly to Asean’s core principle of neutrality.
He said this is even more crucial for Asean now in the currently divided global landscape.
