KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 8,014 charges related to online fraud crimes have been recorded as of May, surpassing the total number of charges last year, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
In 2025, a total of 6,140 charges were recorded.
The Deputy Prime Minister said statistics show that online fraud is growing increasingly serious, marked by a rising number of cases and mounting financial losses for the public.
“Therefore, there is an urgent need to enact a comprehensive cybercrime law to deal with cybercrime more effectively.
“This is 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 Dewan Negara.
Ahmad Zahid said a total of 10,245 individuals had been arrested as of May, 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 last year, the Deputy Prime Minister said, Bernama reported.
He said the arrest statistics showed the police’s continued action in combating online fraud crimes.
“By focusing enforcement on the most active syndicates, we are making a major impact on protecting 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.
It was drafted to repeal the Computer Crimes Act 1997 and strengthen the country’s legal framework in dealing with the increasingly complex threat of cybercrime.
Under the Bill, it is an offence for any person to transmit, distribute, publish, sell, offer for sale or otherwise make available any intimate image of another person through a computer system without lawful justification, with offenders facing up to five years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to RM300,000 or both.
On July 1, Ahmad Zahid had told the Dewan Rakyat that none of the powers provided under the legislation is absolute or free from oversight and that powers to access computer systems and data cannot be exercised arbitrarily, with investigating officers required to comply with strict legal procedures.
He said the Bill is crucial in strengthening the country’s ability to address increasingly complex cyber threats in line with digital technological developments.
