MALAYSIA is working towards establishing a dedicated enforcement agency to combat cybercrime, with Cybersecurity Malaysia currently preparing a national strategy to be presented to the Cabinet by year-end, Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo has said.
“We have Cybersecurity Malaysia. They have the capacity. But at the moment, we are not at the stage where we need to make a decision on enforcement,” he said during the ASEAN 5G and Operational Technology (OT) Security Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.
“What I have asked them (Cybersecurity Malaysia) to do is to develop the strategy first. Once the strategy is complete, then we bring it to Cabinet.”
Gobind emphasised that action plans alone are insufficient without a clear mechanism for enforcement.
“We need to have an agency that will be able to enforce these cybercrime measures, because if you have the measures but no one to enforce them, then that becomes a problem,” he added.
He said discussions on the enforcement structure will be held at Cabinet level.
“Once we get input from all relevant ministers, only then will we decide what needs to be done,” he stated.
Cybersecurity Malaysia has been developing the strategy for the past nine months, with a focus on strengthening digital trust and data security.
Gobind also confirmed that a new Cybercrime Bill is expected to be tabled during the Third Meeting of the Fourth Session of the 15th Parliament in October.
The proposed Bill aims to replace the Computer Crimes Act 1997, which is considered outdated in addressing modern cyber threats.
According to Cybersecurity Malaysia, more than 6,000 cybercrime incidents were reported in 2024, primarily involving fraud, intrusion, and malicious code. The country suffered financial losses exceeding RM1.22 billion due to cybercrime last year. - July 15, 2025
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