PETALING JAYA: Law enforcement agencies must be properly trained to gather evidence related to cybercrime, say stakeholders.
Women’s Aid Organisation executive director Nazreen Nizam said the Cybercrime Bill 2026, tabled in the Dewan Rakyat for first reading yesterday, was a welcome and necessary step but its effectiveness would depend on strong enforcement, survivor protection, public awareness and proper training for police, prosecutors and the courts.
She said survivors must be able to report safely, investigations must be swift and digital evidence must be preserved properly.
“Perpetrators must know that they will actually be investigated, prosecuted and convicted. The law must also provide for urgent take-down mechanisms, protection of survivors’ privacy and clear obligations on platforms to act quickly when abusive content is reported,” she said.
Nazreen said a survivor-centred implementation of this law is essential, emphasising that it is important to ensure survivors are not blamed, shamed or retraumatised when they come forward.
“Survivors do not report because they fear judgment, exposure or disbelief,” she said. “We welcome the tabling of the Cybercrime Bill and the specific recognition of the dissemination of intimate images as a serious offence.
“Non-consensual sharing of intimate images is not a private relationship issue or a mistake – it is a form of sexual abuse and technology-facilitated gender-based violence. It can cause serious emotional, social, reputational and economic harm to survivors. The law must reflect the gravity of that harm,” she said.
“The maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment and fine of up to RM300,000 is an important step and inclusion of AI- generated, manipulated and deepfake intimate images is also crucial because abuse is evolving quickly and the law must be able to respond to our current realities.
“Punishment alone would not be enough to deter perpetrators. The real deterrent is certainty of accountability,” she said.
Concurring with Nazreen, cybersecurity expert Foong Choong Fook said law enforcement agencies must be trained in evidence gathering.
“Cybercrimes actually involve very complicated technical investigations. Sometimes the evidence collections also require proper procedures. In cybercrime incidents, evidence can be very volatile. If you use the wrong procedure to collect the evidence, it can be useless,” he said.
“The steps of collecting evidence are very critical and many may not be trained in such evidence collection. Sometimes when the evidence gets presented in court, it may not be accepted,” he added.
Foong said the five-year jail term is too lenient and may not be a strong deterrent. However, he welcomes the Bill, saying it reflects the government’s vision to foster a much safer Internet for the next generation.
Crime analyst Kamal Affandi Hashim said although there was financial implication for managing the crime, the court must be allowed to directly grant financial compensation to the victim without the hassle of them having to go through civil action.
Among others, the proposed legislation criminalises the dissemination of intimate images, including visual recordings of a sexual nature and altered images.
Clause 54(1)(B) also provides the courts with the power to order restitution to the aggrieved person.
