KUALA LUMPUR: More than 31,949 online fraud cases were investigated last year, leading to the arrest of 11,864 individuals, says Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
The Home Minister said the arrests were a result of 10,000 operations conducted by the Bukit Aman Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID).
“The police have been proactive in combating crime, not only through enforcement but also in strategic foresight, regional partnerships and public-private collaborations.
“These achievements prove that police are not just an enforcement agency but a modern institution driving the nation’s resilience,” he said in his speech during the closing of the third installment of the PDRM Special Dialogue.
Saifuddin Nasution said the police should increase its capabilities and competency, adding that one of the ways forward is through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to curb crime, especially cybercrime.
On the forum, Saifuddin Nasution said the discussions highlighted how national security is no longer confined to physical borders, but also extends to data protection, digital sovereignty and collective cyber awareness.
“A recurring message during the forum was the need to strengthen inter-agency collaboration in order to counter increasingly complex cybercrime,” he said.
At the same event, Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail said police must be a digitally enabled and intelligence-led force, given that more than RM1.22bil in losses was recorded due to a surge in cybercrime.
He said the alarming figure, logged between January and October last year, stemmed from financial scams, online deception, identity theft and data breaches, underscoring the growing threat to the country’s digital ecosystem.
He said Cyber Security Malaysia recorded more than 5,900 incidents in 2023, including 3,705 fraud cases.
“Data breach reports spiked by a staggering 1,100% compared with the previous year.
“These numbers highlight the real-world impact, economic disruption and erosion of trust in our digital environment,” he said.
The IGP said that fighting cybercrime is not solely the responsibility of law enforcement, but requires a whole-of-society approach involving government agencies, academia, the tech sector and civil society. He called on all stakeholders to collaborate in safeguarding digital integrity.
“Cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. By sharing knowledge, strengthening networks and coordinating strategies, we can better protect our communities and institutions,” he said.
